Contents [hide]

Milan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Milan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Milan

What does the name Milan mean?

The western seacoast of Scotland and the rugged Hebrides islands made up the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada, the ancestral home of the Milan family. Milan is a name for a bald person; the name may refer to a member of a religious order. The Gaelic forms of the name are Mac Mhaolain or Mac Ghille Mhaoil, both of which mean son of the bald or tonsured one.

However, the origins of the Clan have been shrouded in uncertainty, largely as a result of historians of the Clan Buchanan, and their insistence that both Clans have a common ancestry. Buchanan of Auchmar says that the MacMillans are descended from Methlan, second son of Anselan, a Buchanan Chief of the thirteenth century. His theory supports the Buchanan claim that the MacMillans are but a sept (sub-Clan) of the Buchanan rather than a Clan in their own right. This theory is supported by the contention that both Clans have an ecclesiastical origin: MacMillan being Anglicized from Maolanach, meaning a 'priest.' However, tradition may more properly ascribe the origin from a particular tribe in Moray that has descended from the ancient Pictish tribe of Kanteai, thought to have existed in the first half of the second century AD.

Early Origins of the Milan family

The surname Milan was first found in at Tayside, where in 1263 Cilleonan MacMolan appears on documents. 1 They arrived in Strathtay from the lands in Loch Arkaig after King Malcolm IV transplanted many Clans, including the MacMillans, from that region about 1160 AD. Later, about 1350, the Camerons, who had changed their name to Chalmers, drove them from their Strathtay territories.

In vacating the Strathtay, the Clan branched to many other areas, including Lochaber, Argyll and Galloway. The senior branch, however, were the MacMillans of Knapdale, and they held a grant from the Lord of the Isles inscribed in Latin on a rock at Knap: 'MacMillan's right to Knap shall be, as long as this rock withstands the sea.'

Malcolm Mor MacMillan had received this rock by the 14th century. His grandson Lachlan MacMillan died at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411. Lachlan's son, Alan MacMillan of Knap, married the McNeill heiress and took over the Castle Sween. He erected a cross, which still stands to this day in Kilmory churchyard. The cross stands better than twelve feet high and is elaborately engraved, showing a Highland Chief hunting a deer on one side, and a claymore surmounted by certain Clan members on the other.

Early History of the Milan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milan research. Another 267 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1454, 1540, 1555, 1670, 1745, 1753, 1775 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Milan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milan Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Milan include many spelling variations. They include They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. MacMillan, MacMullan, MacMullen, McMullen, McMullin, McMullan, McMillan, MacMullin and many more.

Early Notables of the Milan family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Sir Duncan Macmolane, a Pope's knight, chaplain of the collegiate church of Kilmone, 1452; John Macmulan (Makmilane, or Makmylan), bailie (baillie) of Glasgow in 1454; Sir Fingon Makmulane, who was pr...

Milan Ranking

In the United States, the name Milan is the 5,362^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Milan is ranked the 2,750^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Milan family to Ireland

Some of the Milan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Milan migration to the United States +

Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Milans to arrive in North America:

Milan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hans Milan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1691-1692 4

Milan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Antonia Alleman Milan, who settled in New Orleans in 1778

Milan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benj R. Milan, who settled in New Orleans in 1820
Felix Milan, who settled in New Orleans in 1821
F Milan, aged 40, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 4
Louis Milan, aged 22, who landed in Brazil in 1838 4
Juan Jose Milan, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1843 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Milan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edward Milan, who arrived in Galveston, TX in 1906

Milan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Milan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Martin Milan, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Burlington"
Michael Milan, aged 42, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
Michael Milan, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
Patrick Milan, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"
Miss Gertrude Milan, (b. 1851), aged 33, Cornish domestic servant travelling aboard the ship "SS Warwick" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 12th March 1884 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Milan (post 1700) +

Victor Woodward Milán (1954-2018), American writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, known for his science fiction works, winner of the Prometheus Award for Cybernetic Samurai in 1986
Robert Milan, American Republican politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Nashua 6th Ward, 1938 6
Milton Milan (b. 1962), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1996; Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, 1997-2000 6
Michael Milan, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 2008 6
John E. Milan, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Norfolk, Virginia, 1943-44 (acting, 1943) 6
Jack Milan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 2nd District, 1965 6
John Milan Ashbrook (1928-1982), American Republican politician, Newspaper publisher; Member of Ohio State House of Representatives, 1957-60; U.S. Representative from Ohio 17th District, 1961-82 7
C. Milan Canning, American politician, Mayor of Maywood, California, 1952-53 8
Michael Milan Vekich, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 2008 9
Milan Menten (b. 1996), Belgian cyclist

The Milan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Miseris succurrere disco
Motto Translation: I learn to succour the distressed.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html