Explore the Family Name Milne

The meaning of Milne

Scottish (mainly Aberdeenshire and Angus): occupational name from Middle English milne ‘mill’, also found as mulne in south and western England and melne in southeastern England. The Scottish name has been established in Ireland since the early 18th century, and has absorbed some cases of Irish Moyle. Compare Mill 1.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Milne decreased slightly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 5293, but by 2010, it had slipped to 5555, marking a decline of almost 5%. However, the total count of individuals with the Milne surname increased slightly from 6055 in 2000 to 6258 in 2010, indicating a growth rate of about 3.35%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people fell marginally by 5.36% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#5,293#5,555-4.95%
Count6,0556,2583.35%
Proportion per 100k2.242.12-5.36%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Milne

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Milne has also seen some changes over the decade based on data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White in both years (93.86% in 2000 and 91.00% in 2010), there was a slight decrease in this percentage. On the other hand, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander showed the most significant increase from 1.32% to 2.41%, a rise of 82.58%. The count of those reporting multiple races also increased substantially by 66.38%. There were minor increases in the percentages of Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaskan Native identities as well.

20002010Change
White93.86%91%-3.05%
Hispanic1.85%2.49%34.59%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.32%2.41%82.58%
Two or More Races1.16%1.93%66.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.89%1.1%23.6%
Black0.92%1.05%14.13%

Milne 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 Milne is British & Irish, which comprises 65.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.5%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Filipino & Austronesian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish65.2%
French & German14.5%
Scandinavian4.4%
Other16.0%
Milne

Possible origins of the surname Milne

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

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom90.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom90.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom90.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom89.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom89.60%

What Milne 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 Milne 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-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cameron, Morgan, Mcdonald, Phillips, Thomson, Evans, Morris, Carr, Hughes, Allan.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Milne surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

milnePaternal 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 Milne 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

Milne

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Milne" Surname 38.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Milne

Misophonia

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

"Milne" Surname 34.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Milne

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Milne" Surname 20.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Milne

Migraine

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

"Milne" Surname 13.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Milne?

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 Milne 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%