Mills as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mills

What is the meaning of the name Mills ?

The baby name Mills is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /mɪlz/ (MILLZ).

Mills is English in Origin.

Mills is an English surname-turned-given name meaning “at the mill” or “worker at the mill.” It stems from Middle English mille/mylne and Old English mylen, ultimately from Latin molina “mill” (from molere “to grind”), often via Old French moulin. As a byname it marked someone who operated or lived beside a water- or windmill, a central feature of medieval communities.

As a first name in the Anglophone world, Mills surfaces from the 19th century and remains rare but stylish today, aligning with Brooks, Wells, and Hayes. Notable bearers include Virginia governor Mills E. Godwin Jr., boxing referee Mills Lane, and actor Mills Watson. Variants and related forms include the surnames Mill, Milles, Milne, Milner, and Miller; given-name cousins Miles and Milo; and the diminutives Millie/Milly. Usage is largely unisex in modern practice, with a crisp, contemporary sound grounded in sturdy occupational roots.