Boy name · Old English
Milton
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: mill townMilton is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "mill town". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Mill town
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1440 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Milton
As a boy's name, Milton comes from Old English and means "mill town". It is used in English.
Milton is also a surname: the 1,735th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 20,138 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Milton on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Milton on 3 lists.
“Mill town or middle town; Old English, the surname of poet John Milton”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“Gray show jumper ridden by John Whitaker”
From Horse names, famous horses from history and sport
“Mill town; Old English. From the surname of poet John Milton”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Milton?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,440
- 125 babies, 73 per million boys
- Best rank
- #64 in 1912
- Most babies: 2,592 in 1920
- Babies since 1880
- At least 117,936
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,350 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,529 per million |
| 1900s | 1,985 per million |
| 1910s | 2,625 per million |
| 1920s | 2,196 per million |
| 1930s | 1,489 per million |
| 1940s | 999 per million |
| 1950s | 721 per million |
| 1960s | 467 per million |
| 1970s | 284 per million |
| 1980s | 203 per million |
| 1990s | 145 per million |
| 2000s | 120 per million |
| 2010s | 87 per million |
| 2020s | 79 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,245 | #1,139 | #1,221 | #1,262 | #1,278 | #1,363 | #1,266 | #1,426 | #1,431 | #1,440 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Milton
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- AdrienneFrom Hadria, a Roman town (Latin, girl)
- AinhoaFrom a Basque town with a famous image of the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- AshtonAsh tree town (Old English, boy)
- BraxtonFrom a surname meaning Bracca's town (Old English, boy)
- BurtonFortified town (Old English, boy)
- ColtonFrom a surname and place name meaning Cola's town (Old English, boy)
- DarbyDeer town (Old Norse, unisex)
- EastonFrom a surname meaning east town (Old English, boy)
- EltonElla's town (Old English, boy)
Middle names for Milton
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
Milton: common questions
What does the name Milton mean?
Milton comes from Old English and means "mill town".
Is Milton a boy or girl name?
Milton is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Milton come from?
Milton comes from Old English and means "mill town". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Milton?
Milton ranked #1,440 in the US in 2025, with 125 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Milton?
Names spelled like Milton include Milan and Milo.
What middle names go with Milton?
Middle names that flow well with Milton include Eli, Ezra, Glenn, Lamar and Louis. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.