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Show ContentsMillar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The chronicles of the Millar family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in the county of Dumfries.

Early Origins of the Millar family

The surname Millar was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where the Millar family held a family seat from ancient times. One line had its ancestral seat at Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire. During the Middle Ages, occupational names were frequently recorded in Latin; thus, one who worked at a mill would have been documented under the name Milendinarius, Le Molendinator, or De Molendino. The modern spellings "Miller" and "Millar" came into general use about 1500; earlier documents usually show the name in Latin.

Early History of the Millar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Millar research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1253, 1650 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Millar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Millar Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Millar has been spelled Miller, Millar, Myllar, Mylar, Millare, Myllair and many more.

Early Notables of the Millar family

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

Millar World Ranking

In the United States, the name Millar is the 6,390th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Millar is ranked the 768th most popular surname with an estimated 6,966 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Millar is the 483rd popular surname with an estimated 7,858 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Millar as 171st with 3,116 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Millar as 362nd with 17,325 people. 5

Ireland Migration of the Millar family to Ireland

Some of the Millar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Millar migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Millar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Millar, who landed in Maryland in 1714 6
  • Abraham Millar, aged 22, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 6
  • Maria Madlena Millar, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 6
  • George Millar, who was recorded as a runaway servant, convict, or slave in Delaware in 1754
  • Christian Millar, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Millar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Millar, who landed in New York in 1805 6
  • Hugh Millar, who immigrated to New York in 1806
  • William Millar, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1807 6
  • Robert Millar, who arrived in New York in 1837 6
  • Jacob Cryauff Millar, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Millar migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Millar Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Millar, who arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1705 7
  • Patrick Millar, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Isaac Millar, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Millar Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Millar, who emigrated from Scotland to Montréal in 1825

Australia Millar migration to Australia +

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

Millar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Millar, (Miller), Scottish convict who was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • James Millar, Scottish convict from Aberdeen, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. George Millar, (Miller), (b. 1811), aged 21 who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Mr. Peter Millar, (b. 1819), aged 16, British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 11
  • Mr. Henry Millar, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Millar 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:

Millar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. David Millar, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Philip Laing" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 15th April 1848 13
  • Mrs. Millar, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Philip Laing" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 15th April 1848 13
  • John Millar, aged 48, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856
  • Mary Millar, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856
  • Ellen Millar, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Millar (post 1700) +

  • William Millar (1931-1977), stage name Stephen Boyd, Canadian (Northern Ireland born) film actor known for Ben-Hur which won him a Golden Globe.
  • Huntly D. Millar (1927-2016), Canadian founder and CEO of Millar, Inc., an American medical inovator
  • John Donald Millar (1934-2015), American physician and public health administrator, Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1981-1993)
  • Peter Millar (1951-2013), Scottish-American soccer forward
  • Ryan Millar (b. 1978), American seven-time gold medalist volleyball player
  • Margaret Millar (1915-1994), Canadian-born, American mystery and suspense writer
  • Kevin Millar (b. 1971), retired American Major League Baseball first baseman
  • E. Roy Millar, American Republican politician, Candidate for supervisor of Shelby Township, Michigan, 1933 14
  • Duncan R. Millar, American politician, Village President of Wayne, Michigan, 1955-56, 1960 14
  • David L. Millar, American politician, Mayor of University City, Missouri, 1937 14
  • ... (Another 47 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Cornwall
  • James Millar (d. 1942), British Boy 1st Class aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 15
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Robert Robinson Millar (1925-1942), Irish Ordinary Seaman from Ireland, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, was listed as missing and presumed killed during the evacuation of Singapore 1942 16
  • Mr. Peter J W H Millar, British Musician, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 16
  • Mr. James Millar (1925-1942), Irish Boy from Ireland, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Cornwall and was lost in 1942 16
  • Mr. George Millar, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking, was listed as missing and presumed killed during the evacuation of Singapore 1942 16
HMS Royal Oak
  • John Hugh Millar (1916-1998), born in Belfast, Ireland, Irish Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 17
RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Margaret Millar, English 2nd Class passenger residing in New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Robert Millar (d. 1912), aged 27, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 19
  • Mr. Thomas Millar (d. 1912), aged 33, English Extra Fifth Engineer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 19

The Millar 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: Manent optima coelo
Motto Translation: The best things await us in heaven.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  9. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  16. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  17. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  18. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  19. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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