The first name Mills
A unisex name.
Pronounced /mɪlz/ 1 syllable Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From mills, in reference to mill owners and mill workers.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Mills at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 46 boys born in the United States were named Mills, the 2,783rd most popular boys’ name that year.
GirlsBoys
1,045
babies named Mills since 1880
#2,783
rank in 2025
2025
peak year
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Mills
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Edward Mills PurcellAmerican physicist (1912-1997)
- Mills WatsonActor, born 1940
- Mills E. GodwinAmerican politician (1914-1999)
- Mills LaneAmerican judge, boxer, boxing referee, 1937–2022
- Robert M. GagnéAmerican psychologist (1916–2002)
- Sherman FairchildAmerican businessman (1896–1971)
Questions
- What does the name Mills mean?
- From mills, in reference to mill owners and mill workers.
- Is Mills a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 1,045 US babies named Mills since 1880, 12% were girls and 88% boys.
- When was Mills most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 46 babies were named Mills, its highest rank at 2,783rd.
- How do you pronounce Mills?
- Mills is /mɪlz/, one syllable.
- Is Mills also a surname?
- Yes. Mills is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.