Surname Milray - Meaning and Origin
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Milray: What does the surname Milray mean?
The surname Milray is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Riabhaigh, which literally translates to ‘son of the follower of St. Riabhach’. This surname originates from a sept in County Donegal, Ireland, and is believed to have emerged in the 13th century. Throughout the years, the spelling of this name has continued to be adapted, from MacGille Riabhaigh and MacIlroy to Gilroy and Milroy, and most recently, Milray.
The prefix ‘mac’, which translates to ‘son of’, is a common feature of Irish surnames. It is believed that the Kilroy sept derived its name from their ancestor Riabhach, a descendant of one of the seven septs of Magh-Ith. It is thought Riabhach was born in the Co. Donegal area around the 13th century, although the exact whereabouts is unknown. This ancestor had a son, Gille, who, after his father, was eventually referred to as MacGille Riabhaigh.
People with the surname Milray likely trace their ancestry back to this sept, and are descendents of the Riabhach family from Donegal. While it is difficult to determine the exact distribution and bearers of this name, records of the Milray family in Ireland show that their descendants are largely found in Co. Donegal and surrounding areas.
Order DNA origin analysisMilray: Where does the name Milray come from?
The last name Milray is most commonly associated with areas of the United Kingdom, particularly Scotland. The name is derived from feudal lords of medieval times, and a record of a William de Millore is recorded from the early 13th century in Edinburghshire.
The name has had a presence in Scotland and England from around the 12th century, with records and instances of the Milray surname appearing throughout medieval times.
Today, the Milray surname is found across Scotland and northern England and is most associated with the Scottish Borders, areas of Northumberland, and Lancashire in England. It is also found with increasing frequency in other parts of the UK, particularly northern areas such as Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Newcastle.
The Milray name is not common in other parts of the world, though there are some immigrated cases found in the US, Canada, and Australia. The name is quite rare in these countries, however, and there is no definitive concentration in any one specific place.
Variations of the surname Milray
The surname Milray has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of these variants are Melray, Millrae, Millray, Milraye, Milrae, Millrey, and Millrea.
The origin of the surname Milray is typically found in Scotland. In the early days of Scottish history, patronyms (or surnames based on a father’s given name) were employed by people of the time. Milray is derived from the given name Mailros, which was a form of the Latin name Mallorius. This name typically meant “one who was sent” or “an apostle”.
In a few cases, if the given name Mailros was not easily understood in Scotland, the name may have been changed to mirror some of the more common and easily understandable patronyms of the day. Therefore, several variants of Milray may have evolved from the original spelling of Mailros.
Those variants include:
Melray — which stems from the Middle English form of Mailros, Mallera, and
Millrae — which is a version of Milray with a phonetic spelling change.
Additionally, there are also spellings of Milray that include additional letters, such as Millray, Milraye, Milrae, Millrey, and Millrea.
On a broader note, the surname Milray is a fairly uncommon surname in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and elsewhere across Europe. The surname is most often encountered in the United States, especially in the midwestern and Great Lakes regions. This is likely due to the influx of Scottish immigrants who came to America in the 19th century in search of a better life.
Famous people with the name Milray
- Stuart Milray: British actor and screenwriter.
- John Milray: British politician and educationalist.
- William Milray: American actor and singer.
- Skye Milray: Canadian dancer and choreographer.
- Lila Milray: American actress.
- Duncan Milray: British actor.
- Sam Milray: Australian actress and comedian.
- Abigail Milray: British actress.
- Keith Milray: British artist and printmaker.
- Neil Milray: British writer and broadcaster.
- Rebecca Milray: British broadcaster and author.
- Kyri Milray: Canadian artist and choreographer.
- Debbie Milray: Australian actress.
- Laynie Milray: American composer and writer.
- Lucy Milray: British author.
- Ruth Milray: British scriptwriter.
- Paul Milray: British stage actor.
- Mark Milray: American fashion designer.
- Natasha Milray: British actress.
- David Milray: American actor.