Origin of the Name

Muller is a cognate form of the English surname Miller, the occupational name for the man who operated the mill, one of the primary early occupations. Millar is found in Scotland as a variation and Milner is the predominate form in Yorkshire. Meller is another English variation. Cognates include Moulinier, Moliner, Meunier, Munier, Meunie, Mugnier, Mounier, Mounie, Maunier, Monnier, Lemeunier, Lemonnier, Meusnier, Millour, Millinaire (French); Molinaro, Molinari, Monari, Monaro, Munari, Mugnaro, Mugnai (Italian); Molinero (Spain); Moliner, Munne (Catalan); Moliero (Portugal); Morariu (Rumania); Müllner, Müller, Milner, Muller, Molner, Miller, Molitor (German); Möller, Moller (Low German); De Meulder, Mulder, DeMolder, Moller, Moolenaar (Flemish, Dutch); Mlynarski, Mlynski (Polish); Mlynar (Czech); Möller (Swedish); Molnar (Hungarian); Meuller, Muller, Miler, Miller (Jewish Ashkenazik).

The Anglo Saxons first arrived in England about the year 380 A.D. Emerging from the mists of time was the ancient posterity of Milner, and the distinguished history of this surname is closely interwoven into the majestic fabric of the ancient chronicles of England.
Professional analysts have carefully researched such ancient manuscripts as the Domesday Book compiled in 1086 A.D., the Ragman Rolls (1291-1296), the Curia Regis Rolls, the Pipe Rolls, the Hearth Rolls, parish registers, baptismals, tax records and other ancient documents and found the first record of the name Milner, in Yorkshire where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
Many different spelling versions were found in the archives researched. Your name, Milner, occurred in many manuscripts, and from time to time the surname included the spellings of Milner, Milnor, and these variations in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. Frequently a person was born with one spelling, married with another and died with another. Scribes and church officials spelled the name as it was told to them.
Your family name Milner is believed to be descended originally from the ancient Anglo/Saxon race. This founding race, a fair skinned people led by General/Commanders Hengist and Horsa, settled in England from about the year 400 A.D. They came from northern Germany, as far south and west as the Rhine Valley, and settled firstly in Kent on the south east coast. Gradually, they probed north and westward from Kent and during the next four hundred years forced the Ancient Britons back into Wales and Cornwall to the west, and won territories as far north as Lancashire and Yorkshire pushing the Ancient Britons into Cumbria and Southern Scotland. The Angles, on the other hand, occupied the eastern coast, the south fold in Suffolk, the north folk in Norfolk. The Angles sometimes invaded as far north as Northumbria and the Scottish border. The Anglo/Saxon five century rule was an uncertain time, and the nation divided into five separate kingdoms, a high king being elected as supreme ruler. Alfred the Great emerged in the 9th century as the Saxon leader to dispel the Danish invasion. This Viking intrusion, firstly successful, did more to unite England than any other factor.
In 1066, England, under Harold, was enjoying reasonable peace and prosperity. However, the Norman Invasion from France occurred and their victory at the Battle of Hastings, found many of the vanquished Saxon land owners to be forfeited their land by Duke William and his invading nobles. The Saxons were restive under Norman rule, and many moved northward to the midlands, Lancashire and Yorkshire where Norman influence prevailed less. Rebellious Norman nobles frequently joined them in their flight northward.
The family name Milner emerged as a notable English family name in the county of Yorkshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. They were first recorded in Yorkshire at Pudsey where they were Lords of the manor and lands. By the 14th century, they had branched to Nun-Appleton Hall in the same county and also had established branches in Cornwall and a town mansion in London. In London their estates were at Williston Green. John and Richard Milner were both eminent lawyers in Lincoln's Inn and Gray's Inn. Notable amongst the family at this time was - Milner of Yorkshire..
For the next two or three centuries the surname Milner flourished and played an important role in local affairs and in the political development of England. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries England was ravaged by religious conflict. Puritanism, the newly found political fervour of Cromwellism, and the remnants of the Roman Church rejected all non-believers and fought for supremacy. During these turbulent times the conflicts between Church groups, the Crown and political groups all claimed their allegiances and their assessments, tithes, and demands on rich and poor alike broke the spirit of the people and many either turned away from religion, or, alternatively, desperately renewed their faith, pursuing with a vigour and ferocity, the letter of the ecclesiastical law. Many families were freely 'encouraged' to migrate to Ireland, or to the 'colonies'. Some were rewarded with grants of lands, others were banished.
In Ireland they became known as the 'Adventurers for land in Ireland'. Essentially, government sponsored Protestant settlers 'undertook' to keep their faith, being granted lands previously owned by the Catholic Irish for only nominal payment. There is no evidence that the family name migrated to Ireland, but this does not preclude the possibility of their scattered migration to that country.
In the midst of this turmoil the New Word beckoned the adventurous. They migrated, some voluntarily from Ireland, but mostly directly from England, their home territories. Some also moved to the European continent.
Members of the family name Milner sailed aboard the armada of small sailing ships known as the 'White Sails' which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships were pestilence ridden, sometimes 30% to 40% of the passenger list never reaching their destination, their numbers decimated by dysentery, cholera, small pox, typhoid and the elements.
In North America, included amongst the first migrants which could be considered a kinsman of the surname Milner, or a variable spelling of that family name was Joseph, Daniel, Anne, Sarah, and Ralph Milner all arrived in Philadelphia in 1683; Michael Milner arrived in New England in 1635; Samuel Milner settled in Virginia in 1635; Robert Milner settled in Virginia in 1623.
From the port of entry many settlers made their way west, joining the wagon trains to the prairies or to the west coast. During the American War of Independence, many loyalists made their way north to Canada about 1790, and became known as the United Empire Loyalists. They were granted equivalent lands along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and in the Niagara Peninsula. Contemporary notables of this surname, Baron Milner of Leeds; George Milner, Judge; John Milner, Surgeon; Joseph Milner, Fireman.
During the course of our research we also determined the many Coat of Arms granted to different branches of the family name.
The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was;
Ermine with three wolves heads.
The Crest is;
A wolf's head.
The ancient family motto for this distinguished name is;
"Addit Frena Feris"


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