NameCensus.

UK surname

Milns

In the 1881 census there were 148 people recorded with the Milns surname, ranking it #15,611 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #15,611 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Doncaster and Wath-on-Dearn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newark and Sherwood, Barrow-in-Furness and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Milns is 288 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.3%.

1881 census count

148

Ranked #15,611

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1851

288 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Milns had 148 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,611 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Milns surname distribution map

The map shows where the Milns surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Milns surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Milns over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 288 #7,884
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 148 #15,611
1891 historical 150 #18,328
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 142 #22,406
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Milns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Doncaster, Wath-on-Dearn, Sheffield and Wallasey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newark and Sherwood, Barrow-in-Furness, Tonbridge and Malling and Breckland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wallasey Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newark and Sherwood 013 Newark and Sherwood
2 Barrow-in-Furness 010 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Tonbridge and Malling 012 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Breckland 005 Breckland
5 Tonbridge and Malling 013 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Milns

These lists show first names that appear often with the Milns surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Milns

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Milns, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Milns surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Milns household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Milns is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Milns is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Milns falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Milns is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Milns, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Milns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Milns surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 79 Milns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 79 5.52x
Lincolnshire 26 11.27x
Lancashire 21 1.23x
Sussex 7 2.88x
Middlesex 6 0.42x
Cheshire 4 1.26x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.06x
Derbyshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherham in Yorkshire leads with 14 Milns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 173.70x.

Place Total Index
Rotherham 14 173.70x
Wentworth 13 1460.67x
Holton Beckering 12 15000.00x
Ecclesfield 10 95.33x
Cottingham 9 292.21x
Thornham 7 752.69x
West Ardsley 7 406.98x
Horncastle 6 252.10x
Southowram 6 137.30x
Gomersal 5 74.85x
Hove 5 46.82x
Pendleton In Salford 5 24.50x
Habblesthorpe 4 6666.67x
Liscard 4 69.69x
Castleton 3 17.53x
Doncaster 3 28.71x
Harthill Cum Woodall 3 545.45x
Almondbury 2 28.90x
Brighton 2 4.07x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.87x
Firsby 2 1666.67x
Great Grimsby 2 13.65x
Hammersmith London 2 5.62x
Layton With Warbreck 2 31.80x
Little Bolton 2 9.08x
Mexborough 2 70.42x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.67x
Barkisland 1 96.15x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.44x
Hackney London 1 1.24x
Kimberworth 1 12.59x
Kirkmond Le Mire 1 1428.57x
Melbourne 1 64.94x
Nether Hallam 1 5.17x
Salford 1 1.98x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 30.77x
Stoke Newington London 1 8.90x
Stowe With Normanby 1 714.29x
Warley 1 24.21x
Welbourn 1 370.37x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Milns surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Ann 5
Emma 4
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Gwendoline 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Lilians 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mercy 1
Methbell 1
Nancy 1
Olive 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Milns surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 11
John 9
Edward 4
George 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Robert 3
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Adam 1
Alexr. 1
Arther 1
Benj. 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Dennes 1
Francis 1
H. 1
H.T. 1
I.C.R. 1
Joh 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Ray 1
T. 1
Vincent 1
Willy 1

FAQ

Milns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Milns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 148 people were recorded with the Milns surname. That placed it at #15,611 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Milns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Milns a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Milns map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Milns bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.