The McMillan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 40,237 people carried this name — #860 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,330 people counted. That is up 3% from 38,896 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the McMillan surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Maoláin (“son of Maolán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive of maol (“bald, tonsured”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McMillan» (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

McMillan was recorded 251 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 73rd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 439. 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 the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, McMillan was counted together with McMillen: 91 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 526 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McMillen, McMellen, McMellens, McMillan, Mcmillan, Mcmillen, McMillian, McMillin, McMillion, Mcmillion, Macmillion, McMillon. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 45
Pennsylvania 16
South Carolina 13
Virginia 8
Massachusetts 4
New Hampshire 3
New York 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McMillan in American newspapers,
1868–1910.

Newspaper page from The Iuka Vidette carrying the name McMillan
The Iuka Vidette 1910-06-16
Newspaper page from The San Francisco Call carrying the name McMillan
The San Francisco Call 1910-06-05
Newspaper page from New Orleans Republican carrying the name McMillan
New Orleans Republican 1868-02-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 309,292 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McMillan in Australian newspapers,
1800s–2000s.

91,991 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McMillan. The most, 18,078, date from the 1930s. New South Wales 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 Western Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 32,399
Victoria 16,891
Queensland 14,512
Western Australia 13,083
South Australia 12,501
Tasmania 1,563
ACT (Canberra) 670
Northern Territory 219

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

Who carried it

People named McMillan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edwin McMillan
    Edwin McMillan 1907–1991 · university teacher
  • William McMillan
    William McMillan 1929–2000 · sport shooter
  • Kenneth McMillan
    Kenneth McMillan 1932–1989 · film actor
  • Ian McMillan 1931–2024 · association football player
  • Stephenie McMillan 1942–2013 · production designer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McMillan,
in the records of 8 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 States3,664 records

3,664 records of the McMillan name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,373
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 559
  • Other U.S. records 1,732
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Donald Franklin McMillan

    Born 1939; from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. U.S. Army, parachutist; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Centreville, Alabama.

    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 Garland D. McMillan

    Born 1915 in Texas. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Sam Houston; mechanic from Medina County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    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 Susan McMillan

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 25; servant. From Antrim, Ireland; bound for Chicago.

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

Showing 3 of 3,664 records for McMillan in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · 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).

Australia3,308 records

3,308 records of the McMillan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,727
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 732
  • Other Australian records 849
  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 Marion McMillan

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Margaret, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1844 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Mary McMillan

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Garland Grove, sailing from London in 1841. Native of Fort William, Inverness-shire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary McMillan

    Died 1905 in Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1905.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 3,308 records for McMillan 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) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada2,034 records

2,034 records of the McMillan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,623
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 137
  • Other Canadian records 274
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Eva McMillan

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm McMillan

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Polynesian, landing at Portland, bound for Kleinburg, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Duncan Angus McMillan

    Died 1994, aged 24; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 2,034 records for McMillan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom255 records

255 records of the McMillan name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 169
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 74
  • Other British records 12
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Alexander McMillan

    Born 1895 at Coltfield; farm servant. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918 (Machine Gun Corps).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain); National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Thomas McMillan

    Born 1900 at Motherwell; engineer. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie McMillan

    Buried in 1887 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 65.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 255 records for McMillan 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) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand120 records

120 records of the McMillan name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 81
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 19
  • Other New Zealand records 20
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Florence McMillan

    Died 1976, aged 88; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Bryce McMillan

    Born 1919, died 1985; ashes interred at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Eliza McMillan

    Buried in 1932 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 69.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 120 records for McMillan in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the McMillan 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 Ellen Dyar McMillan

    Born 1898 in the United States; died 1997 in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Duncan McMillan

    Born 1914 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Moulins (Allier).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for McMillan in France.

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).

Ireland2 records

2 records of the McMillan name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Teresa McMillan

    Died 1970; buried at Carraroe, Williamstown, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for McMillan in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the McMillan name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Andrew Muir Steven McMillan

    Married in 1945 in Arnhem; soldier.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for McMillan in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (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 McMillan.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McMillan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McMillan 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 McMillan volume
Scroll to Top