Surname Milk - Meaning and Origin
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Milk: What does the surname Milk mean?
The last name Milk is thought to be a metonymic occupational surname. This type of surname is derived from an activity or trade that an ancestor was involved in. It is believed that this last name was given to a dairy farmer or someone who was in charge of milk production, either from animals such as cows and goats or in the processing of milk products like cheese and butter.
The word milk is derived originally from Middle English, which stemmed from Old English and is thought to have Scandinavian origins, indicating that this name may have first been used in an area of Northern Europe.
Today, Milk is most commonly used in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other English-speaking countries. It is also sometimes seen in some parts of Europe and South America.
The surname Milk is not overly common, but it is an interesting and unique one that often sparks curiosity. This name will likely be around for many years to come and as time passes, more and more people are likely to take this surname and make it their own.
Order DNA origin analysisMilk: Where does the name Milk come from?
The last name Milk is most commonly found in Central and Eastern European countries, with the greatest concentration of the surname being found in Ukraine and Israel.
In Ukraine, the Milk surname is widely represented, accounting for 6,228 people according to a 2013 study. The highest frequency of the name is found in the city of Zaporizhia, where 468 people bear the surname.
The surname Milk is also common in Israel, where it ranks as the 91st most frequent surname. It is most commonly found in the Jerusalem area, with 615 people having the Milk surname living there as of 2016.
The surname is also common throughout Europe, and is especially popular in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as some parts of Western Europe. It is found in countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Spain, Belarus, Moldova, Croatia, Qatar, and Argentina - where the surname is often transcribed as Melk in Spanish-speaking countries.
The name Milk may also be found in small numbers in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. In the US, Canada, and Australia, it is found among people of Eastern European Jewish descent who immigrated to these countries.
Variations of the surname Milk
The surname Milk is derived from “Milk” or “Mylke”, which were names given to people who owned or worked in dairies (milking cows). It is a fairly common English and German surname, with variants including Milke, Mylke, Mulke, Mulka, Myllka, Myilke, Mulka, Mulkah, Melke, and Molkah.
The original German spelling was “Mülke”, which over generations has developed further variants, including Milch, Milke, Milksen, Milner, Millen, Millenauer, Mille, Meleke, Melch, Melker, Milley, Millow, Melchow, Mülken, Mülker, and Mülch.
In Dutch the surname is “Melk” but can also be found as “vom Melke”, meaning “from the milk”.
In France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands, the solo name “Melk” is also common, as well as the French alphabetical equivalents “Mielke” and “Mylke”.
The Polish variant of the surname is “Mleczko”, while the Ukrainian variant is “Mlyk”.
In Yiddish the name could be spelled “Malk”, but the most common version in Eastern Europe was “Milkes”.
In many cases, the surname Milk has been abbreviated to “Mul” or “Mull”. This version of the surname is often found in England, Scotland and Ireland.
The origin of the surname can also be seen in Swedish, as “Molker” or “Målker”, or in Danish as “Malken” or “Malker”.
In Spain, the different spelling of “Mille” or “Miñele” can be found.
In the United States, the surname Milk is often found as Millk, Milks, Mielke, Mulk, Milke, or Milken.
Famous people with the name Milk
- Harvey Milk: American politician and gay rights activist.
- Leo Milk: Russian professional football player.
- Roger Milk: American film and television actor.
- Edie Milk: American painter and portrait artist.
- Johnny Milk: American hip-hop artist.
- Donny Milk: Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter.
- Harry Milk: Canadian Olympic rower.
- Marjorie Milk: Canadian television, film and theatre actress.
- Nellie Milk: American blues singer and songwriter.
- George Milk: American professional basketball player.
- Dave Milk: American professional bowler.
- Judy Milk: American country musician and songwriter.
- Seth Milk: American actor, producer and voice-over artist.
- Susan Milk: American producer and director.
- Julian Milk: British composer and pianist.
- Ray Milk: British professional cyclist.
- Mischka Milk: Australian Piping Competition winner.
- Ivan Milk: Ukrainian professional soccer (football) player.
- John Milk: Australian rugby union player.
- Otis Milk: American folk musician.