Explore the Family Name Millar

The meaning of Millar

Scottish: variant of Miller. It is also found in Ireland (especially Antrim).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Millar in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Millar has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Millar was ranked as the 5,204th most common surname, but by 2010 it had moved up to the 5,086th position, reflecting a 2.27% change in rank. The count of individuals with this surname also rose during this period, going from 6,168 to 6,883 people, an increase of 11.59%. Likewise, the proportion of individuals named Millar per 100,000 people also grew slightly from 2.29 to 2.33.

20002010Change
Rank#5,204#5,0862.27%
Count6,1686,88311.59%
Proportion per 100k2.292.331.75%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Millar

Turning now to the ethnicity of individuals carrying the Millar surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of Millars identified as White (91.57% in 2000 and 89.84% in 2010), there were notable increases in other ethnic identities. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 1.22% to 1.51%, those reporting two or more races increased from 1.43% to 1.69%, and Hispanic representation rose from 2.76% to 3.41%. There was also a small increase among those identifying as Black, moving from 2.72% to 3.25%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Millars identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native slightly decreased from 0.31% to 0.29%.

20002010Change
White91.57%89.84%-1.89%
Hispanic2.76%3.41%23.55%
Black2.72%3.25%19.49%
Two or More Races1.43%1.69%18.18%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.22%1.51%23.77%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.31%0.29%-6.45%

Millar 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 Millar is British & Irish, which comprises 63.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.0%) and Eastern European (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish63.2%
French & German14.0%
Eastern European4.3%
Other18.5%
Millar

Possible origins of the surname Millar

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 Millar have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom89.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom89.50%
Greater London, United Kingdom89.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom89.10%
West Midlands, United Kingdom89.10%

What Millar 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 Millar 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-L21 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Porter, Morgan, Evans, Phillips, Lloyd, Jones, Shaw, Matthews, Ford, Morris.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Millar surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

millarPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Millar 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

Millar

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Millar" Surname 52.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Millar

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Millar" Surname 31.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Millar

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Millar" Surname 24.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Millar

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Millar" Surname 16.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Millar?

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 Millar are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%