Show ContentsMiler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The age-old Scottish surname Miler was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people. The Miler family lived in the county of Dumfries.

Early Origins of the Miler family

The surname Miler 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 Miler 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 Miler family

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

Miler Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Miler has been spelled Miller, Millar, Myllar, Mylar, Millare, Myllair and many more.

Early Notables of the Miler family

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

Miler Ranking

In the United States, the name Miler is the 16,817th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Miler family to Ireland

Some of the Miler 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 Miler migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

Miler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Jurig Miler, who landed in New York in 1709 2
Miler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Miler, who arrived in New Castle, Del in 1801 2
  • Gaspar Miler, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 2
  • Martin Miler, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2
  • Michael D Miler, who landed in Indiana in 1852 2

Canada Miler migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Miler Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Miler, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Miler (post 1700) +

  • Carl Miler, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 49th District, 1941-44, 1947-48 3
  • Miler Alejandro Bolaños Reasco (b. 1990), Ecuadorian footballer

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Henry C Miler, British Boy 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 4


The Miler 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. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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