UK boy's name
Milton
A masculine name of English origin meaning "mill town".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Milton is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Milton popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 10 births.
This profile covers 136 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 135 living people in the UK are called Milton. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Milton ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 10 boys were registered as Milton.
- • About 135 living people in the UK are estimated to have Milton as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2014
10 births
Estimated living
135
2026
Meaning
What does Milton mean?
The name Milton is an English given name derived from the Old English words "mill" and "tun", meaning "mill town" or "mill village". It originated as a place name and was later adopted as a surname, and eventually also as a given name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Milton as a given name dates back to the 12th century. One notable bearer of the name was the English poet John Milton, who lived from 1608 to 1674 and is best known for his epic poem "Paradise Lost".
Another famous Milton was the American statesman and diplomat Milton S. Eisenhower, who was born in 1899 and served as the President of Pennsylvania State University and the President of Johns Hopkins University.
In the world of literature, Milton Avery was an American modern painter who lived from 1885 to 1965 and was known for his colorful and poetic depictions of scenes from daily life.
Milton Friedman, born in 1912 and died in 2006, was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and the complexity of stabilization policy.
Milton Berle, who lived from 1908 to 2002, was an American comedian and actor, known as "Mr. Television" and "Uncle Miltie" for his contributions to the early days of television in the United States.
While the name Milton has its roots in Old English, it has been used across various cultures and time periods, with notable bearers contributing to fields such as literature, politics, art, and economics.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Milton over time
The chart below shows babies named Milton registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Milton, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milton by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Milton 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 | #4573 | 17 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3335 | 52 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2547 | 58 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2221 | 9 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Milton
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Milton: questions and answers
How popular is the name Milton in the UK right now?
In 2024, Milton was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Milton most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 10 babies registered as Milton in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Milton?
A masculine name of English origin meaning "mill town".
How many people are called Milton in the UK?
A total of 136 babies have been registered as Milton across the 26 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.