Millwood is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a miller or the keeper of a mill. The surname Millwood is derived from the Old English word mylenweard. This name is common in the southern and western counties; elsewhere, the form Milner predominates. The "mill-ward" was the keeper of the mill having derived from the Middle English words "melle, mulle, and mulne." [1] [2]
The surname Millwood was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Millwood research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1502 and 1488 are included under the topic Early Millwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Millwood has appeared include Milward, Milwood and others.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Millwood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Millwood is the 13,979th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]
Some of the Millwood 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.
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Millwood arrived in North America very early: