Contents [hide]

Mill History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Mill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Mill family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived at or near a mill having derived from the Old English word mylen, which meant mill. 1 2

Early Origins of the Mill family

The surname Mill was first found in Hampshire. However, one branch of the family was found at Barford in Warwickshire since early times. " Under the chancel [in the church of Barford] is a vault for the family of Mills, to members of whom are five urns on pedestals in the chancel wall." 3

"This name is mostly confined to the southern half of England. Its chief homes are in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hants, and Warwickshire. It is rare or infrequent in the south - west of England, where, in Cornwall and Devon, its place is to some extent supplied by Mill." 4

Some of the first records of the family include: Margery Mylys who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1273; 5 and John Myls was listed in London in 1336. 6

Early History of the Mill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mill research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1593, 1604, 1621, 1645, 1659, 1660, 1676, 1683, 1695, 1707, 1736, 1776, 1788, 1804, 1809, 1811, 1817, 1826, 1833 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mill Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Mill has been recorded under many different variations, including Mills, Mylles, Meiles and others.

Early Notables of the Mill family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Myles, English politician, Member of Parliament for Coventry in 1593; John Mylles (c. 1604-1676), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Oxford University in 1659 and 1660; John Myles (M...
Alfred Mills (1776-1833), the English draughtsman was a skilful designer of illustrations to small books of juvenile instruction, such as 'Pictures of Roman History in Miniature,' 1809, 'Pictures of E...
Charles Mills (1788-1826), the English historical writer, born on 29 July 1788 at Croom's Hill, Greenwich, was youngest son of Samuel Gillam Mills, surgeon. He was educated privately, and, after a bri...
John Mills (d. 1736), the English actor is said by Downes in his 'Roscius Anglicanus' to 'excel in Tragedy,' appears to have joined the company at Drury Lane and Dorset Garden after the secession in 1...

Mill Ranking

In the United States, the name Mill is the 16,068^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Mill family to Ireland

Some of the Mill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mill migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Mills were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Mill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1635
John Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1637
Lewis Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1642
Cornelius Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1652
Edward Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1654
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mill Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1704
Jurg Mill, aged 35, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 8
James Mill, who settled in Virginia in 1741
James Mill, who landed in Maryland in 1747 8
George Mill, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1748 8

Mill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Mill, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 8
David Mill, who arrived in New York, NY in 1840 8
Mrs. Louisa Mill, (b. 1818), aged 33, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30th April 1851 9
Miss Mary Jane Mill, (b. 1850), aged 6 months, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30th April 1851 9
Mr. James Mill, (b. 1848), aged 3, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30th April 1851 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mill migration to Australia +

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

Mill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Mill, (Wallace), Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Susanna Mill, (Susan), Scottish laundress who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1849 11
Mr. William Mill, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Thomas Mill, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 13
Miss. Jean Mill (Adam), British Convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 9th March 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mill 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:

Mill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George G. Mill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1858
Helen Mill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1858
James Mill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1858
William Mill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1858
George Mill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1858
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mill (post 1700) +

Henry S. Mill, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 10th District, 1910 15
John Stuart Mill FRSE (1806-1873), English philosopher, political economist and civil servant, often referred to as "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century"
Hugh Robert Mill (1861-1950), Scottish geographer and meteorologist, eponym of the Mill Glacier, Antarctica
Frank Mill (b. 1958), German footballer
James Mill (1773-1836), Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher, father of John Stuart Mill

Historic Events for the Mill family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Richard Mill, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 16

HMS Repulse

Mr. Kenneth Clifford Mill, "Keith" British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking, but later died as a prisoner of war in 1943 17

The Mill 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: Honor virtutis pretium
Motto Translation: Honour is the reward of virtue.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
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) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1847
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html