Milstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Milstead name is a habitational name derived from Milstead in Kent.

Early Origins of the Milstead family

The surname Milstead was first found in Kent at Milstead, a village in the borough of Swale which dates back to the late 11th century when it was listed as Milstede. The place name probably means "middle place" from the Old English middel + stede. 1 However, the first reference of the surname was in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where Richard de Minsted was listed in Buckinghamshire. Apparently the "n" and the "l" were often interchanged. 2 In this case, the name could have originated at Minstead is a small village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire. This village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 3 where it was listed as Mintestede and literally meant "place where mint grows or is grown," from the Old English word minte + stede. 1

Early History of the Milstead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milstead research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Milstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milstead Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Melsted, Melstead, Milstead, Misted and others.

Early Notables of the Milstead family

More information is included under the topic Early Milstead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milstead Ranking

In the United States, the name Milstead is the 10,593^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Milstead migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Milstead Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Milstead, (b. 1809), aged 29, English carpenter from Rolvenden, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maitland" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 6th November 1838 5
Mrs. Mary Milstead, (nee Moon), (b. 1814), aged 24, English dress maker from Rolvenden, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maitland" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 6th November 1838, she died in 1894 6
Mr. Thomas Milstead, (b. 1834), aged 4, English settler from Rolvenden, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maitland" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 6th November 1838, he died at sea 7
Edward Milstead, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 8
Jane Tresidder Milstead, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milstead migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 9

Milstead Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Edward Milstead, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Barbados or Jamaica in 1674

Contemporary Notables of the name Milstead (post 1700) +

Charles Frank "Charlie" Milstead (1937-2022), American professional football player from Tyler, Texas who was a quarterback and defensive back for the Houston Oilers (1960-1961)
Century Allen "Wally" Milstead (1901-1963), American college and NFL football player, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977
Darrell Milstead (1934-2011), American producer, founder and CEO of Nandar Entertainment and Silver Cinema
Roderick Leon "Rod" Milstead (b. 1969), former American NFL football guard
George Earl Milstead (1903-1977), American Major League Baseball pitcher in the 1920s with the Chicago Cubs
Harris Glenn Milstead (1945-1988), American actor and musician, best known for his drag persona, Divine

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 11th July 2021). Retrieved from https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Maitland_5 Nov 1838/4_478000079.jpg&No=155
Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 11th July 2021). Retrieved from https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Maitland_5 Nov 1838/4_478000079.jpg&No=156
Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 11th July 2021). Retrieved from https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5313/4_4780/Maitland_5 Nov 1838/4_478000079.jpg&No=157
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCESS ROYAL 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848PrincessRoyal.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies