A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Mills since 1882
Babies named Mills per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2025, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Mills's real moment was 1882.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 20 |
| 1890s | 0 | 5 |
| 1900s | 0 | 6 |
| 1910s | 0 | 80 |
| 1920s | 0 | 103 |
| 1930s | 0 | 65 |
| 1940s | 0 | 66 |
| 1950s | 0 | 39 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 24 |
| 1990s | 0 | 34 |
| 2000s | 0 | 87 |
| 2010s | 44 | 173 |
| 2020s | 82 | 212 |
Meaning & origin
Mills is a surname name that has quietly held a place in American naming since the 1880s, peaking in rank in 1882. After a long decline, it has been rising again since 1994. In 2023, the name ranked 2,765 with an incidence of 1 in 37,132 births, remaining most concentrated in Southern states such as Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia. Mills exemplifies the enduring tradition of adopting family surnames as given names, a pattern particularly strong in the American South.
Mills is an English surname derived from the Old English 'mylen' (mill), referring to someone who lived near a mill or worked at one. As a given name, it follows the 19th-century fashion of using surnames as first names, particularly in the American South. It may also be a variant of Miles.
Where Mills is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Sibling names for Mills
Names that share Mills's style, for a brother or sister.
