Show ContentsMinington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Minington family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Minington comes from when the family lived in either of the settlements named Millington in Cheshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, or at any farm with a mill. The surname Minington belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Minington family

The surname Minington was first found in Cheshire at Millington, a civil parish or at Millington, a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Both were listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Cheshire parish was listed as Mulintune and at that time was held by William Malbank. Rather small, it had land enough for one plough. However the Yorkshire listings were spelt Mileton, Milleton and Milletone and each had their own entry. 1 These have evolved into the modern day places of Millington Woods, Millington Pastures and Millington Springs. The place name literally means "farmstead with a mill" having derived from the Old English myln + tun. 2

Early History of the Minington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minington research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1628, 1666 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Minington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minington Spelling Variations

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 Minington has appeared include Millington, Milington, Mellington and others.

Early Notables of the Minington family

Distinguished members of the family include Gilbert Millington (ca. 1598-1666) English barrister, one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England, after the Restoration, he was sentenced to death, but was later...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Minington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Minington family

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 Minington arrived in North America very early: Joan Millington and her husband, who settled in Virginia in 1650; John Millington was a servant and settled in Barbados in 1680; Nathaniel Millingtons settled in Maryland in 1774.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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