Milton
An English surname from a number of places called Milton, whose names come from Old English elements meaning either middle settlement or mill settlement.
Milton in 2025
Milton was given to 125 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,051st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 26,523 babies born.
The history of Milton
Milton reached its highest point in 1920, when 2,603 babies were given the name, ranking 178th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 158th, in 1912.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 118,551 babies have been named Milton. Half of them were born before 1936, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Milton by decade
| Decade | Babies named Milton | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,479 | 206 |
| 1890s | 1,745 | 280 |
| 1900s | 2,700 | 245 |
| 1910s | 17,625 | 158 |
| 1920s | 24,357 | 178 |
| 1930s | 15,832 | 216 |
| 1940s | 14,937 | 287 |
| 1950s | 14,677 | 344 |
| 1960s | 9,066 | 491 |
| 1970s | 4,714 | 682 |
| 1980s | 3,750 | 895 |
| 1990s | 2,833 | 1,199 |
| 2000s | 2,390 | 1,454 |
| 2010s | 1,632 | 2,289 |
| 2020s | 814 | 2,684 |
Where Milton is heading
Milton has fallen 18% over the past decade, from 153 babies in 2015 to 125 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1920 peak — Milton is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Milton
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Milton.