Miller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

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It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Miller. It was a name for someone who lived in the county of Dumfries.

Early Origins of the Miller family

The surname Miller 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 Miller 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 Miller family

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

Miller Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Miller has been spelled Miller, Millar, Myllar, Mylar, Millare, Myllair and many more.

Early Notables of the Miller family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Miller World Ranking

In the United States, the name Miller is the 7th most popular surname with an estimated 1,054,488 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Miller is ranked the 18th most popular surname with an estimated 63,126 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Miller is the 512nd popular surname. 3 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Miller as 49th with 480 people. 4 France ranks Miller as 3,361st with 2,000 - 2,500 people. 5 Australia ranks Miller as 38th with 45,832 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Miller as 36th with 5,567 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Miller as 54th with 76,379 people. 8 Russia ranks Miller as 383rd with 41,539 people. 9 South Africa ranks Miller as 560th with 12,463 people. 10

Migration of the Miller family to Ireland

Some of the Miller 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.


Miller migration to the United States +

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them:

Miller Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Miller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Miller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Miller Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miller migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Miller Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Miller Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miller migration to Australia +

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

Miller Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Miller Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miller 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:

Miller Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miller migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 22
Miller Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
Miller Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Miller (post 1700) +


The Miller 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.


Suggested Readings for the name Miller +
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