Show ContentsMilton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Milton

What does the name Milton mean?

The ancestors of the Milton surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Oxfordshire where they were established since early times. The name originally came from the words mill-town and denoted that the town had a mill.

Early Origins of the Milton family

The surname Milton was first found in Oxfordshire where the name was derived from the place name Milton of which there are many that still survive today. However, there is strong evidence that the family descended from the Norman family of De Camville who held a baronial estate in the area as the arms of that family and the name Milton both have the double-headed eagle. The Camville or Campvilles date back to before William the Conqueror. Continuing the investigation further, we found the Camvilles of Milton appear continuously in records after the Domesday Book. For example, Gerard de Camville, Baron of Milton had three sons (c. 1230). The youngest was probably the ancestor of the Miltons.

Early History of the Milton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milton research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1318, 1340, 1608, 1674 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Milton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milton Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Milton include Milton, Mylton and others.

Early Notables of the Milton family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • John Milton (1608-1674), an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell, who William Hayley called the "greatest Eng...

Milton Ranking

In the United States, the name Milton is the 1,225th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Milton family to Ireland

Some of the Milton 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.


Milton migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Milton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Milton, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Supply" 2
  • Clement Milton, (1598 - 1632), who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Furtherance" 3
  • William Milton, who landed in Virginia in 1638 2
  • Hannah Milton, who settled in Virginia in 1638 with her husband
  • William Milton, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Milton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Milton, who settled in Maryland in 1775
Milton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Milton, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1833 2
  • J D Milton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 2
  • Henry Milton, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1863 2

Milton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Milton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Milton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • Mr. Thomas Milton U.E. who settled in Pittsburgh [Kingston], Ontario c. 1784 4
Milton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • L Milton who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec but died on Grosse Isle on 10th July 1847 5
  • Ms. Sally Milton, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 5

Milton migration to Australia +

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

Milton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Aaron Milton, English convict who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Mr. John Milton, (b. 1801), aged 18, English plasterer and tiler who was convicted in London, England for life for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1871 7
  • Mr. Walter Milton, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Mr. Solomon Milton, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Mr. James Milton, (b. 1804), aged 23, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milton 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:

Milton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Alice Milton, (b. 1858), aged 2 months, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 11
  • Mr. John Milton, (b. 1857), aged 1 year 6 months, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 11
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Milton, (b. 1831), aged 28, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 11
  • Mr. John Milton, (b. 1831), aged 28, English labourer from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 11
  • Miss Elizabeth Jane Milton, (b. 1853), aged 6, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Milton (post 1700) +

  • John Milton (1608-1674), English poet, best known for his poem Paradise Lost
  • John Milton (1740-1804), American politician, Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799
  • Brigadier-General Hugh Meglone II Milton (1897-1987), American Brigadier-General, Executive for Reserve & ROTC Affairs, Department of the Army (1951-02-24) 12
  • Peter Winslow Milton (b. 1930), American artist
  • Tommy Milton (1893-1962), American race car driver, first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500
  • Eric Milton (b. 1975), American Major League Baseball player
  • John Milton (1807-1865), American politician, fifth governor of Florida
  • Charles Milton, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Sir William Henry Milton (1854-1930), English-born, 3rd Administrator of Mashonaland, English rugby player and South African cricket captain
  • Peter Milton (1928-2009), English-born, Australian politician
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. Alfred Milton (b. 1898), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 13


  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. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 47)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Hugh Milton. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Milton/Hugh_Meglone_II/USA.html
  13. Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm


Houseofnames.com on Facebook