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Milner History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Milner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Israel

The Milner surname is thought to have originated in Bavaria, Germany. As hereditary surnames began to be adopted in that area beginning in the 12th century, people were often identified by the kind of work they did. Milner is an occupational name for a miller, derived from the Old Germanic "Mulinari."

Early Origins of the Milner family

The surname Milner was first found in Southern Germany, where they were established in the Middle Ages. The name is the German form of the Latin name "Molinarius," "Mulinari" in Old German. The modern form of the name, Mueller, is documented early on in the chronicles of Swabia, wherein the knight Conrad von Husen is noted as having become known as Mueller for his ownership of a mill.

Early History of the Milner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milner research. Another 239 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1670, 1675, 1693, 1749, 1752, 1758, 1779, 1806, 1807, 1815, 1825, 1828, 1829 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Milner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milner Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Milner include Mueller, Muller, Mueler, Muler, Miller, Moeller, Muellner, Milner, Molner and many more.

Early Notables of the Milner family

Prominent among members of the name Milner in this period include Heinrich Müller (1631-1675) was a German devotional author, Protestant author of hymns and Lutheran theologian; Adam Heinrich Mueller (1779-1829), ennobled in 1828 as Ritter von Nittersdorf, who influenced Hegel and accompanied Metternich to Paris in 1815, Johann Matthias Mueller, a general in the Austrian army, who was ennobled in 1758, Friedrich Mueller (1749-1825), known as "Maler Mueller" ("painter...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Milner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milner Ranking

In the United States, the name Milner is the 2,654^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Milner is ranked the 721^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,278 people with that name. 2

Milner migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Milner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Milner, aged 24, who settled in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Francis Bonaventure"
Robert Milner, who landed in Virginia in 1624-1625 3
Michell Milner, aged 23, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James" 3
Samuel Milner, aged 18, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Phillip" 3
Michael Milner, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Fredk Milner, who landed in Virginia in 1714 3
William Milner, who landed in Virginia in 1714 3
Hans Michael Milner, who landed in New Jersey in 1744 3

Milner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Milner, who arrived in America in 1805 3
Elizabeth Milner, who arrived in New York in 1834 3
Isaac Milner, who arrived in Mississippi in 1846 3
William Milner, who arrived in New York in 1849 3
Samuel Milner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Milner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Milner, who landed in Prince Edward Island in 1817

Milner migration to Australia +

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

Milner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Milner, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
James Milner, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Thomas Milner, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
Mr. John Milner, British Convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Amelia Milner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Singapore" in 1839 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Milner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richard Milner, aged 38, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Sarah Milner, aged 41, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
George Milner, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Rosanna Milner, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Jane Milner, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Milner (post 1700) +

Martrez Milner (b. 1984), former American NFL football tight end who played from 2007 to 2009
John David Milner (1949-2000), American Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder, nicknamed "The Hammer"
Colonel John T. Milner (1826-1898), American engineer and businessman, founder of Milner Coal and Railroad Mines
Helen V. Milner (b. 1958), American political scientist
Martin Sam Milner (1931-2015), American film, stage, radio and television actor, best known for his roles in Route 66 (1960 to 1964), and Adam-12 (1968 to 1975)
Edward James Milner (1955-2015), American Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds (1980-1986) and in 1988
Angela Cheryl Milner (1947-2021), British paleontologist who, in 1986 with Alan Charig, described the dinosaur Baryonyx
Stanley Albert Milner OC AOE MSM CD (1930-2021), Canadian businessman and politician
Mrs. Helen Marion Susan Milner M.B.E. (b. 1958), British recipient of the Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Education and to the community in North East England 9
Rev. Isaac Milner FRS (1750-1820), English mathematician, inventor and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, President of Queens' College, Cambridge
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Milner family +

HMS Cornwall

John Stanley Milner, British Lieutenant Commander aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 10

The Milner Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtute ingenioque valemus
Motto Translation: We are strong because our virtue and talent

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SINGAPORE (aka SINCAPORE) 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Singapore.gif
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A