The MacMillan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,688 people carried this name — #6,041 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 51,800 people counted. That is up 2% from 5,553 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the MacMillan surname

A surname of Scottish origin.

For many people so surnamed today (worldwide), their name can be traced back to the Clan MacMillan. The word roots are covered at McMillan.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «MacMillan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Scotland, 1880s

McMillan and Macmillan, counted together, were 27 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 370. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Argyllshire.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 592 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

MacMillan was recorded 101 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 252nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 174. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

MacMillan in American newspapers,
1908–1922.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name MacMillan
The Birmingham Age-herald 1908-02-23
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name MacMillan
Daily Kennebec Journal 1910-01-25
Newspaper page from The Democratic Advocate carrying the name MacMillan
The Democratic Advocate 1922-06-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,014 pages in all carry the name.

In print

MacMillan in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

8,313 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss MacMillan. The most, 1,715, date from the 1950s. Queensland has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,788
New South Wales 1,638
Victoria 1,036
Western Australia 949
South Australia 805
Tasmania 758
ACT (Canberra) 284
Northern Territory 21

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss MacMillan.

Who carried it

People named MacMillan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Kirkpatrick Macmillan
    Kirkpatrick Macmillan 1812–1878 · inventor
  • Daniel Macmillan
    Daniel Macmillan 1813–1867 · businessperson
  • Daniel Macmillan
    Daniel Macmillan 1813–1857 · businessperson
  • Alexander Macmillan
    Alexander Macmillan 1818–1896 · publisher
  • Hugh Macmillan
    Hugh Macmillan 1833–1903 · writer
  • Birgitte Hamilton d. 2015 · aristocrat

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named MacMillan,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States899 records

899 records of the MacMillan name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 372
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 201
  • Other U.S. records 326
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas MacMillan

    Born 1948; from Leominster, Massachusetts. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Massachusetts Veteran Memorial Cemetery/Winchendon, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Gilbert MacMillan

    Born 1915 in United Kingdom. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; route man from Kings County, New York. U.S. Army veteran; died 1983, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth MacMillan

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the George Washington from Liverpool, aged 16; servant. From Scotland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 899 records for MacMillan in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada1,313 records

1,313 records of the MacMillan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,142
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 53
  • Other Canadian records 118
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Angus R. MacMillan

    Killed in 1951 at the Dominion No. 16 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Jane MacMillan

    Buried in 1967 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 79.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Gordon MacMillan

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 1,313 records for MacMillan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia452 records

452 records of the MacMillan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 201
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 107
  • Other Australian records 144
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John MacMillan

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Morley, sailing from Downs in 1822.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Isaac MacMillan

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Hilton, aged 23; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alexander MacMillan

    Textile worker of Bentleigh, Victoria; died 1933.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 452 records for MacMillan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom46 records

46 records of the MacMillan name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 30
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 8
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 8
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Donald MacMillan

    Died 1929, aged 59; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Duncan MacMillan

    Killed or died by 1922. Named in the Union Bank of Scotland Ltd. roll of honour 1914-1918.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. MacMillan

    Seaforth Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 46 records for MacMillan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the MacMillan name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Timaru and Mackenzie District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John MacMillan

    Died 1865, aged 70; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Brian William MacMillan

    Died 1967, aged 25; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ewan Cameron MacMillan

    Died 1870; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for MacMillan in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the MacMillan name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Isabella Mac Millan

    Born 1883 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ethel Mae Mac Millan

    In the population register of Schoonhoven; born 1905 in Greene New York United States of America.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Midden-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Robert Mac Millan

    In a population register; born 1879 in Glasgow.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for MacMillan in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the MacMillan name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Vivienne MacMillan

    Born 1909 in Quatre Borne (Ile Maurice); died 1995 in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with MacMillan.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to MacMillan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where MacMillan is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the MacMillan volume
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