The Milliken surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,857 people carried this name — #5,892 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 5,635 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Milliken surname

Variant of Milligan.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Milligan’.

An early record he cites: John Mulkyn, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Millikin and Milliken.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 533 · public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Milliken was recorded 13 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1564th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. 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

Milliken in American newspapers,
1900–1920.

Newspaper page from The Age-herald carrying the name Milliken
The Age-herald 1900-08-12
Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Milliken
Rock Island Argus 1920-03-13
Newspaper page from Evening Times-republican carrying the name Milliken
Evening Times-republican 1918-11-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 78,796 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Milliken in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

4,213 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Milliken. The most, 842, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,890
Queensland 1,124
Victoria 688
South Australia 314
Tasmania 95
Western Australia 54
ACT (Canberra) 26
Northern Territory 14

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

Who carried it

People named Milliken,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Isaac Lawrence Milliken
    Isaac Lawrence Milliken 1815–1885 · judge
  • Elias Milliken
    Elias Milliken 1823–1902 · lumber merchant
  • Charles W. Milliken
    Charles W. Milliken 1827–1915 · lawyer
  • Weston F. Milliken
    Weston F. Milliken 1829–1899 · businessperson
  • Seth L. Milliken
    Seth L. Milliken 1831–1897 · politician
  • Benjamin Milliken 1728–1791 · businessperson

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 Milliken,
in the records of 5 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 States725 records

725 records of the Milliken name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 243
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 188
  • Other U.S. records 294
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Randall F. Milliken

    Born 1911 in Nebraska. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Logan, Colorado; driver from Denver County, Colorado. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1958, buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1851 aboard the Underwriter from Liverpool, aged 28; seamstress. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Milton G. Milliken

    U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1941, died 2001; buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 725 records for Milliken in the United States.

Counts: 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) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia197 records

197 records of the Milliken name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 63
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 55
  • Other Australian records 79
  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 Joseph Milliken

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Orator, sailing from Dublin in 1843. Native of Antrim.

    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 James Milliken

    Arrived in Queensland in 1890 aboard the Dacca, aged 20.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert K. Milliken

    Traveller of N Carlton, Victoria; died 1917.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 197 records for Milliken 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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · 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); 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).

Canada38 records

38 records of the Milliken name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 11
  • Other Canadian records 14
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Will'm Milliken

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Scan, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; Scotland.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert Mathew Milliken

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 94.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edward Milliken

    Died 1891 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 38 records for Milliken 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 Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Milliken name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Milliken

    Buried in 1928 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 73.

    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 J. Milliken

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ralph Smith Milliken

    Buried in 1915 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 23.

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

Showing 3 of 5 records for Milliken 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). 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 Zealand4 records

4 records of the Milliken name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Grace Mary Isabella Milliken

    Died 1994, aged 84; buried at Waimairi 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 William Ralph Milliken

    Buried in 1937 at Buffalo Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 88.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Edward Milliken

    Died 1995, aged 92; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Milliken in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Milliken.

When the index is not enough

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

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