Milson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Milson was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the popular Norman given name Miles.

Early Origins of the Milson family

The surname Milson was first found in Shropshire, at Milson, a parish, in the union of Cleobury-Mortimer, part of the Overs Hunderd which dates back to the Domesday Book where is was listed as Mulstone. At that time, there was a manor, and land for 6 ploughs. It was held by Osbern fitzRichard at that time. 1 The village had 160 inhabitants in 1848 and the local church was dedicated to St. George. The name was probably derived from the Old English personal name + "tun" 2 and literally means "farmstead of a man called Myndel or Miles. Today there is also a Milson Island in New South Wales, Australia and has been established for over 100 years. Milsons Point near Sydney, Australia was named after James Milson (1785-1872), from Lincolnshire one of the earliest settlers. In New Zealand, Milson is a suburb of Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui.

Early History of the Milson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milson research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1309, 1327, 1379 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Milson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milson Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Milson, Millson, Milison, Millison, Millyson, Milyson, Myllison, Mylison, Myleson, Mylleson, Mylson, Milsom, Mylsom, Milsolm, Millsolm, Melsam, Melsan, Melson, Melsom, Milsson, Melsome and many more.

Early Notables of the Milson family

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

Milson migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Milson or a variant listed above:

Milson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Gresian Milson, who landed in Carolina in 1724 3
John Milson, who arrived in New York in 1795 3

Milson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Milson, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 3
Thomas Milson, who settled in Allegheny in 1868

Milson migration to Australia +

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

Milson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Milson (Millsom, Milsom), English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. John Milson, (Wilson), English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Milson 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:

Milson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Daniel Milson, aged 30, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Elizabeth Milson, aged 31, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Milson (post 1700) +

James Milson, Australian settler in 1825, eponym of "Milsons Point" which juts into Sydney Harbour

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman