Myles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Myles family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Myles came from the given name Miles or Milo. 1 2 The name Myles is of Germanic origin and is derived from the Old German word mil, which meant beloved. The family name Myles was brought to England after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. This distinguished family descended from Miles, who was the Marshall of Duke William and who held lands at Caen, Vauceles, and Venoix in Normandy. 3 The Norman conquerors imported a vast number of continental European personal names, such as the name Myles, which largely replaced traditional Old English personal names among the upper and middle classes.
Early Origins of the Myles family
The surname Myles was first found in Lincolnshire where Johannes filius Mile was listed (1150-1160.) Seventy years later, the name would be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1230 as Milo Noyrenuyt. 4 By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the listings in Bedfordshire were the most numerous: William filius Milon; and Milo le Messer. The same rolls listed: Peter Myles in Kent; Wychard Miles in Lincolnshire; and Margery Mylys in Cambridgeshire. 5 The Pipe Rolls of Sussex listed Nicholaus Miles in 1177 and the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire listed Nicholaus filius Miles in 1297. And then there was this interesting note confirming the relationship between Milo and Miles: "Another Ralph Miles, a fishmonger, of Bridge Ward (1292 Subsidy Rolls of London), founded a chantry for his late lord Milo, no doubt Miles de Oystergate, fishmonger." 4
Early History of the Myles family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Myles research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Myles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Myles Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Miles, Myles and others.
Early Notables of the Myles family
More information is included under the topic Early Myles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Myles Ranking
In the United States, the name Myles is the 1,804th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Myles is ranked the 595th most popular surname with an estimated 77 people with that name. 7
Migration of the Myles family to Ireland
Some of the Myles family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Myles migration to the United States +
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Myles or a variant listed above:
Myles Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Joseph Myles, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Mary & John" 8
- John Myles, who landed in Massachusetts in 1637 8
- Kath Myles, who landed in Virginia in 1650 8
- Robert Myles, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 8
- Barbery Myles, who landed in Virginia in 1650 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Myles Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Bartholemew Myles, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 8
- Alexander Myles, who arrived in America in 1789 8
Myles Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Myles, who arrived in America in 1855 8
Myles Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Charles Lawrence Rodney Myles, who landed in Alabama in 1921 8
Myles migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Myles Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Christian Myles, (Christine, Mcgaggan, Mcgagan), (b. 1830), aged 7, Scottish house maid who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
- Mr. John Myles, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
- Samuel J. Myles a doctor, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1839 11
- Eliza Myles, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1839 11
- Sophia M. Myles, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1839 11
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Myles (post 1700) +
- Lynda Myles (1939-2023), American television writer, actress, playwright, memoirist, and short fiction writer
- Eileen Myles (b. 1949), award-winning American poet
- Heather Myles (b. 1962), American country singer
- Sophia Jane Myles (b. 1980), English film and television actress
- David Myles (b. 1978), Australian former professional rugby league footballer
- Nate Myles (b. 1985), Australian professional rugby league footballer
- Captain Edgar Kinghorn Myles VC, DSO (1894-1977), British recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Eve Myles (b. 1978), award-winning Welsh actress of stage and screen
- Alannah Myles (b. 1958), Grammy Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter
- Andrew Myles Cockburn (b. 1947), British journalist and the Washington D.C., editor of Harper's Magazine, father of Olivia Wilde
Historic Events for the Myles family +
- Mr. Peter Myles, English Trimmer from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 12
- Mr. Thomas Francis Myles (d. 1912), aged 63, Irish Second Class passenger from Fermoy, Ireland who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 13
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
- 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 of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIR CHARLES FORBES (originally Charles Forbes) 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839SirCharlesForbes.htm
- Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
- Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html