NameCensus.

UK surname

Mylan

A German surname derived from the middle high German word "müli" meaning "miller".

In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Mylan surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, up from #30,872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Leeds and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mylan is 133 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 510.5%.

1881 census count

19

Ranked #30,872

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

2002

133 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mylan had 19 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mylan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mylan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mylan 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 19 #30,872
1891 historical 46 #30,657
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Mylans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Leeds and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 021 Swansea
2 Swansea 014 Swansea
3 Leeds 033 Leeds
4 Leeds 025 Leeds
5 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mylan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mylan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mylan, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mylan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mylan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mylan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mylan is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mylan falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mylan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mylan

The surname Mylan has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the historical records of the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mol" meaning "bare" and "innis" meaning "island" or "meadow". This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on a bare or uninhabited island or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is spelled "de Molenys" in this document, indicating the potential for various spellings over time.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, where a John Mylan is mentioned as a landowner in 1567. This suggests the name had become more firmly established in this region by that time.

The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Molenys, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and was a witness to a charter granted by King Robert I of Scotland in 1306. Another notable figure was Sir John Mylan, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

During the 17th century, the name spread beyond Scotland as some Mylans emigrated to Ireland and England. In 1642, a Thomas Mylan is recorded as having been granted land in County Antrim, Ireland, as part of the Plantation of Ulster.

As the name spread, various spellings emerged, including Mylan, Millan, Mylne, and Mullen. Some of these variations may have derived from the Gaelic word "muileann" meaning "mill", suggesting the name could also have originated from a connection to a mill or miller.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Mylne, a Scottish architect and engineer who designed several bridges and buildings in Edinburgh, including the North Bridge and the City Chambers. He was born in 1734 and died in 1790.

Another prominent figure was Robert Millan, a Scottish philosopher and academic who lived from 1753 to 1838. He served as the chair of Logic and Rhetoric at the University of Glasgow and was a respected author and thinker of his time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mylan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mylan 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 7 Mylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7 3.81x
Derbyshire 3 10.34x
Lancashire 3 1.37x
Midlothian 3 12.09x
Worcestershire 2 8.27x
Middlesex 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nether Hallam in Yorkshire leads with 4 Mylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 161.29x.

Place Total Index
Nether Hallam 4 161.29x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 30.06x
Hulme 3 65.36x
Staveley 3 588.24x
Hallow 2 1666.67x
Halifax 1 37.17x
Leeds 1 9.65x
Poplar London 1 28.57x
Skircoat 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Constance 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Harry 1
James 1
Michael 1
Patk. 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mylan households.

FAQ

Mylan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mylan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Mylan surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mylan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Mylan a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Mylan surname mean?

A German surname derived from the middle high German word "müli" meaning "miller".

What does the Mylan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mylan 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.