UK girl's name
Milica
A female name of Serbian origin meaning "gracious" or "grace".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Milica is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Milica popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3899, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 8 births.
This profile covers 45 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 63% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 45 living people in the UK are called Milica. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Milica ranked #3899 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2001, when 8 girls were registered as Milica.
- • About 45 living people in the UK are estimated to have Milica as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3899
2020
Births in 2020
5
Latest year
Peak year
2001
8 births
Estimated living
45
2026
Meaning
What does Milica mean?
The name Milica is of Slavic origin, derived from the Slavic root "mil" meaning "gracious" or "dear". It is believed to have originated in the Balkans during the Middle Ages, specifically in Serbia and neighboring regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Milica can be found in the 14th century Serbian epic poem "Tsarvena Milica". This poem tells the story of Princess Milica, the wife of Serbian Prince Lazar, who played a significant role in the Battle of Kosovo against the Ottoman Empire in 1389.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Milica was Milica Hrebeljanović (1335-1405), a Serbian princess and the daughter of Prince Vratko Hrebeljanović. She was married to Prince Lazar and served as a regent during her son's reign, playing a crucial role in the political and cultural affairs of medieval Serbia.
In the realm of literature, Milica Stojadinović Serbian (1830-1878) was a prominent Serbian writer and one of the first female authors in modern Serbian literature. Her works, such as "Pevanija" and "Književni radovi", explored themes of love, patriotism, and the struggles of Serbian women.
Moving to the 20th century, Milica Bakić-Hayden (1923-2003) was a renowned Serbian anthropologist and scholar. She made significant contributions to the study of gender, kinship, and rural communities in the Balkans, authoring numerous influential works, including "Norms and Lived Experience" and "Working in the Field".
Another notable figure is Milica Tomić (1859-1944), a Serbian painter and one of the first professional female artists in Serbia. Her work, primarily focused on portraiture and genre scenes, played a pivotal role in the development of Serbian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These examples illustrate the historical and cultural significance of the name Milica, which has been borne by notable figures in various fields, from literature and art to politics and academia. The name has a rich heritage rooted in the Slavic traditions of the Balkans and continues to be a popular choice in various Slavic cultures today.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Milica over time
The chart below shows babies named Milica registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Milica, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2020, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milica by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Milica was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3899 | 5 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5687 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3876 | 28 | 6 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Milica
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Milica: questions and answers
How popular is the name Milica in the UK right now?
In 2020, Milica was ranked #3899 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Milica most popular?
The peak year on record was 2001, with 8 babies registered as Milica in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Milica?
A female name of Serbian origin meaning "gracious" or "grace".
How many people are called Milica in the UK?
A total of 45 babies have been registered as Milica across the 11 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.