Contents [hide]

Milner History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Milner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Israel
Scotland

The founding heritage of the Milner family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Milner comes from when one of the family worked as a person who was a milner or more commonly know as a miller. The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name myln which meant mill. 1

"The surname is most common in the north and eastern counties, where Scandinavian influence was strong." 2

Early Origins of the Milner family

The surname Milner was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Appleton-Roebuck and Nun-Appleton, a township, in the parish of Bolton-Percy, W. division of Ainsty wapentake. "This place comprises by computation 2800 acres, chiefly the property of the Milner family, whose splendid mansion, Nun-Appleton Hall, stands in an extensive and finely wooded park, near the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Wharfe: the house was built by Thomas, Lord Fairfax, on the site of a Cistercian priory for nuns, founded by Alice de St. Quintin at the commencement of the thirteenth century." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls had only one listing for the family, Robert le Melner in Derbyshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two listings, the latter an occupational entry: Robertus Mylner; and Henricus Tele, milner. 4

The Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire included John le Mulnare in 1275 and later, Robert le Milner was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297. 2

In Scotland, entries were quite a bit later as "Andrew Mylnar leased part of the Grange of Abirbothry, 1454 and Paton Mylner, [was] tenant of Westhorn of Grange of Kerso, in 1478." 5

Early History of the Milner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milner research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1570, 1628, 1702, 1723, 1730, 1760, 1789, 1827, 1841, 1887 and 1897 are included under the topic Early Milner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milner Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Milner has been spelled many different ways, including Milner, Milnor and others.

Early Notables of the Milner family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Milner (1628-1702), an English clergyman, known as a nonjuring minister, scholar and opponent of John Locke. James Milner, 9th Seigneur of Sark (died 1730) bought the fief of Sark from John Johns...

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. 6 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. 7

Milner migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Milners to arrive in North America:

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 8
Michell Milner, aged 23, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James" 8
Samuel Milner, aged 18, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Phillip" 8
Michael Milner, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 8
... (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 8
William Milner, who landed in Virginia in 1714 8
Hans Michael Milner, who landed in New Jersey in 1744 8

Milner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Milner, who arrived in America in 1805 8
Elizabeth Milner, who arrived in New York in 1834 8
Isaac Milner, who arrived in Mississippi in 1846 8
William Milner, who arrived in New York in 1849 8
Samuel Milner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
... (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 9
James Milner, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Thomas Milner, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11
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) 12
Amelia Milner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Singapore" in 1839 13
... (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
Rev. Isaac Milner FRS (1750-1820), English mathematician, inventor and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, President of Queens' College, Cambridge
Marcus Henry Milner (1864-1939), English racehorse trainer, soldier, civil servant and cricketer who played two first-class cricket matches for Cambridge University in 1884
John David Milner (b. 1948), English magician, stage and television performer
John Milner (1752-1826), English Roman Catholic bishop and controversialist, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District from 1803 to 1826
... (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 14

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A