Explore the Family Name Miles
The meaning of Miles
1. English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English (Old French) personal name Mile + genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s, or from its other Old French form Miles, a derivative of ancient Germanic Milo, based on the element mil, from mel ‘good, generous’. The Old French oblique case form was Milon (see Milon 1). Compare Millen and Millson. 2. English: variant, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s, of Myhill, from a vernacular form of the Biblical name Michael. Miles Coverdale, the translator of the Bible, when in Germany, called himself Michael Anglus (‘the Englishman’). 3. Irish (Louth and Kilkenny): when not the same as 1 or 2, it is sometimes an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maolmhuire, see Myles. 4. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): patronymic from the Yiddish personal name Mile, a diminutive of Yerachmiel, a variant of Biblical Yerachmel (1 Chronicles 2:9). It is formed with the Yiddish possessive -s. 5. Americanized form of some original Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname. 6. German: variant of Miels, a patronymic from Miele 4. History: John Miles or Myles (c.1621–83), born probably in Herefordshire, England, was a pioneer American Baptist minister who emigrated to New England in 1662 and had a pastorate in Swansea, MA. Many of his descendants spell their name Myles.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Miles in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Miles has seen a decrease in popularity ranking from 342 in 2000 to 368 in 2010, marking a 7.6% change. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 3.67%, from 81,933 in 2000 to 84,942 in 2010. Similarly, there was a slight drop in its proportion per 100k population, with a decrease of 5.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #342 | #368 | -7.6% |
| Count | 81,933 | 84,942 | 3.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 30.37 | 28.8 | -5.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Miles
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Miles surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some change over time. From 2000 to 2010, there was a notable increase in individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (by 13.95%), Two or More Races (by 48.30%), and Hispanic (by 53.46%). Conversely, there was a small increase in those identifying as Black (1.73%). However, there were decreases in the number of people identifying as White (3.58%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (3.70%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.61% | 61.33% | -3.58% |
| Black | 31.8% | 32.35% | 1.73% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.61% | 48.3% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.44% | 53.46% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.81% | 0.78% | -3.7% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.49% | 13.95% |
Miles ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Miles is British & Irish, which comprises 51.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.2%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.4% |
| French & German | 21.2% |
| Nigerian | 4.2% |
| Other | 23.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Miles
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Miles have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.40% |
What Miles haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Miles is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Davis, Williams, Brown, Thomas, Richards, Taylor, Thompson, Price, Morris, Clark.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Miles surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Miles have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Miles" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Miles" Surname 26.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Miles" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Miles" Surname 16.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Miles?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Miles are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition