Milton Boy

Popularity: #813 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MIL-tun //ˈmɪltən//

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: Old English: 'mill town'; Latin: 'from the mill'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Milton has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "middel," meaning "middle," and "tun," meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This etymology suggests a geographical origin, possibly referring to a settlement located in a central position. The name was first recorded in the form of "Middletun" in the 10th century, which later evolved into various forms, including "Miltun" and eventually "Milton." The transition into modern English occurred through the Norman influence on the English language after the 11th century, which integrated many Old English names into a more standardized form.

Historically, the name Milton gained prominence through notable figures, particularly John Milton, the 17th-century English poet and intellectual, best known for his epic poem "Paradise Lost," published in 1667. Milton's works have had a profound impact on English literature and thought, contributing to the name's association with literary excellence and intellectualism.

Additionally, the name appears in various historical texts and documents, often linked to places in England, such as Milton Keynes and Milton Abbas, which further solidified its usage. Culturally, the name Milton has been associated with themes of creativity, freedom of expression, and moral inquiry, largely due to John Milton's legacy.

The name has also been used in various literary and artistic contexts, reinforcing its significance in English-speaking cultures. While diminutive forms like "Milt" may exist, the name Milton itself carries a weight of historical and cultural resonance that has allowed it to endure through centuries.

Famous people named Milton

In this section, you will find notable people named Milton. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Milton who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Milton who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Milton Friedman was an economist best known for Capitalism and Freedom, A Monetary History of the United States, and his work on the permanent income hypothesis.

Milton Berle was an actor and comedian best known for The Milton Berle Show, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and his role in the early days of television.

Milton Glaser was a graphic designer best known for the I ♥ NY logo, the Bob Dylan poster, and his work in the field of visual arts.

Fictional characters named Milton

The following list of fictional characters named Milton is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Milton Waddams is a fictional character from the film Office Space. He is an introverted office worker known for his obsession with his stapler and his frequent complaints about being overlooked at work.

Milton is a fictional character from the video game series The Binding of Isaac. They are a character that players can unlock, known for their unique abilities and role within the game's narrative.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Milton, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Milton. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Milton was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Milton has ranked as high as #178 nationally, which occurred in 1920, and has been most popular in New York, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Milton has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Milton is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Milton was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Milton.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 125 125 0
2024 128 128 0
2023 128 128 0
2022 153 153 0
2021 136 136 0
2020 144 144 0
2019 149 149 0
2018 153 153 0
2017 167 167 0
2016 149 149 0
2015 153 153 0
2014 175 175 0
2013 171 171 0
2012 168 168 0
2011 159 159 0
2010 188 188 0
2009 190 190 0
2008 218 218 0
2007 222 222 0
2006 238 238 0
2005 231 231 0
2004 244 244 0
2003 243 243 0
2002 260 260 0
2001 264 264 0
2000 280 280 0
1999 228 228 0
1998 217 217 0
1997 248 248 0
1996 281 281 0
1995 271 271 0
1994 282 282 0
1993 318 318 0
1992 331 331 0
1991 333 333 0
1990 324 324 0
1989 354 347 7
1988 365 365 0
1987 364 364 0
1986 341 341 0
1985 366 366 0
1984 374 374 0
1983 372 372 0
1982 410 410 0
1981 402 402 0
1980 402 402 0
1979 375 375 0
1978 415 415 0
1977 412 412 0
1976 441 441 0
1975 442 437 5
1974 458 451 7
1973 455 455 0
1972 485 485 0
1971 598 591 7
1970 633 633 0
1969 658 652 6
1968 680 680 0
1967 710 710 0
1966 772 765 7
1965 833 825 8
1964 988 979 9
1963 1,001 993 8
1962 1,119 1,113 6
1961 1,112 1,104 8
1960 1,193 1,183 10
1959 1,229 1,218 11
1958 1,335 1,325 10
1957 1,373 1,362 11
1956 1,495 1,482 13
1955 1,441 1,430 11
1954 1,588 1,581 7
1953 1,539 1,531 8
1952 1,588 1,576 12
1951 1,529 1,520 9
1950 1,560 1,553 7
1949 1,565 1,559 6
1948 1,553 1,546 7
1947 1,638 1,638 0
1946 1,516 1,507 9
1945 1,355 1,349 6
1944 1,466 1,457 9
1943 1,519 1,508 11
1942 1,512 1,507 5
1941 1,390 1,385 5
1940 1,423 1,423 0
1939 1,381 1,372 9
1938 1,414 1,400 14
1937 1,393 1,385 8
1936 1,448 1,441 7
1935 1,542 1,532 10
1934 1,522 1,516 6
1933 1,493 1,486 7
1932 1,720 1,710 10
1931 1,849 1,834 15
1930 2,070 2,053 17
1929 2,046 2,029 17
1928 2,189 2,170 19
1927 2,379 2,358 21
1926 2,435 2,418 17
1925 2,582 2,567 15
1924 2,493 2,474 19
1923 2,461 2,446 15
1922 2,569 2,556 13
1921 2,600 2,588 12
1920 2,603 2,592 11
1919 2,463 2,448 15
1918 2,475 2,454 21
1917 2,407 2,394 13
1916 2,363 2,345 18
1915 2,236 2,225 11
1914 1,844 1,834 10
1913 1,428 1,419 9
1912 1,325 1,319 6
1911 608 608 0
1910 476 476 0
1909 369 369 0
1908 346 346 0
1907 292 292 0
1906 303 303 0
1905 299 299 0
1904 230 230 0
1903 210 210 0
1902 207 207 0
1901 202 197 5
1900 242 242 0
1899 207 207 0
1898 225 225 0
1897 161 161 0
1896 194 194 0
1895 188 188 0
1894 156 156 0
1893 174 174 0
1892 173 173 0
1891 141 141 0
1890 126 126 0
1889 171 171 0
1888 165 165 0
1887 122 122 0
1886 145 145 0
1885 130 130 0
1884 150 150 0
1883 149 149 0
1882 155 155 0
1881 143 143 0
1880 149 149 0

Top States for Milton (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 18
22%
FL 10
12%
CA 9
11%
GA 8
10%
NY 7
9%
VA 7
9%
NC 6
7%
WI 6
7%
LA 6
7%
MS 5
6%