People with the surname Milne, Miln, Milns,Milnes and Mylne are probably from the same basic clan: the earliest records were by people who couldn't write very well and the name was sometimes written variously even during a person's lifetime. The name is recorded in Aberdeenshire in 1380 and means at or near a corn-mill. John Milne of Urquhart, Morayshire, born in 1659, was the father of Harry Milne (b. ...

History

The family name Milnes is believed to be descended originally from the Boernicians and as such, would be one of the earliest civilised peoples in the British Isles. The Boernicians, an ancient clan of people of the north of Britain, were a mixture of Picts and Angles, dating from about the year 400 A.D., and considered to be the founding peoples of that area. ... The word civilization (or civilisation) has a variety of meanings related to human society. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ...

Following a battle in which the Milnes rallied all they could to the larger Clan Gordon (and were largely wiped out), that clan made Milnes a sept. Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a traditional Scottish clan name and it is now a common forename. ... A sept is a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. ...

As a border clan, the Milnes were scattered during the 17th century, when law was imposed by the newly unified countries of England and Scotland. By the 19th century, they are found clustered in Yorkshire, England and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Border country is the hilly area of Lowland Scotland on the border between Scotland and England. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The White Yorkshire rose. ... The traditional county of Aberdeenshire (Siorrachd Obar Dheathain in Gaelic) borders Banffshire and Inverness-shire to the west, Perthshire, Angus and Kincardineshire to the south, and the North Sea to the north and east. ...

Meaning

Most sources agree that the meaning is to do with a mill. One specifically states that it derives from old English meaning "on living at or near a corn mill" though this doesn't fit too well with the Scottish borders origin claimed by many sources. It is likely that Milnes is a plural form based on milliner (someone who runs or owns a mill). So it would have come from people describing a family as 'the milliners' and the name gradually sticking, in corrupted form, to individuals. ...

"Common Aberdeenshire name derived from corn-mill. John Myll, dwelling in Aberdeenshire, 1492. Robert Myll, Arbroath witness, 1528. Gilbert Milne witnesses grant of Golspe chaplaincy, 1575."

Coat of Arms

There are at least three different coats of arms touted to belong to the Milnes family, though some of them are only known by from commercial companies with an interest to sell engraved glasses, painted shields, t-shirts etc. The main arms are a those of a diagonal bar (bottom left to top right) over a field or (that is, a flecked background).

Although the Gordons (in the USA) recognise that Milnes and Milne are the same, at present, the Milne do no hold the same recognition. For this reason, Milnes are permitted to wear any of the Gordon tartans but not the Milne tartan. Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a traditional Scottish clan name and it is now a common forename. ... A tartan is a specific woven pattern that often signifies a particular Scottish clan in the modern era. ...

Pronunciation

Most people with the surname Milnes pronounce it as a single syllable with the 'e' silent: "Millns". There is a large minority who pronounce it as two: "Mill-ness" or "Mill-nez". "Milne" is pronounced "Miln" and "Milner" is pronounced with the R.

Some famous Milnes

• Sherrill Milnes
• Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton
• Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe
• Mrs. Anne Milnes Diaries of Mrs. Anne Lumb edited by Charles M.Gaskell. London, 1884. Country diaries (excerpts); small details of life in a Yorkshire village; deaths, births, visits, teas, etc., worked into editor's text.