Myles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Myles family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Myles came from the given name Miles or Milo. [1] [2] The name Myles is of Germanic origin and is derived from the Old German word mil, which meant beloved. The family name Myles was brought to England after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxonaristocrats. This distinguished family descended from Miles, who was the Marshall of Duke William and who held lands at Caen, Vauceles, and Venoix in Normandy. [3] The Norman conquerors imported a vast number of continental European personal names, such as the name Myles, which largely replaced traditional Old English personal names among the upper and middle classes.

Early Origins of the Myles family

The surname Myles was first found in Lincolnshire where Johannes filius Mile was listed (1150-1160.) Seventy years later, the name would be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1230 as Milo Noyrenuyt. [4] By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the listings in Bedfordshire were the most numerous: William filius Milon; and Milo le Messer. The same rolls listed: Peter Myles in Kent; Wychard Miles in Lincolnshire; and Margery Mylys in Cambridgeshire. [5] The Pipe Rolls of Sussex listed Nicholaus Miles in 1177 and the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire listed Nicholaus filius Miles in 1297. And then there was this interesting note confirming the relationship between Milo and Miles: “Another Ralph Miles, a fishmonger, of Bridge Ward (1292 Subsidy Rolls of London), founded a chantry for his late lord Milo, no doubt Miles de Oystergate, fishmonger.” [4]

Early History of the Myles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Myles research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Myles History in all our PDF Extended History productsand printed products wherever possible.

Myles Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Miles, Myles and others.

Early Notables of the Myles family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Myles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Myles Ranking

In the United States, the name Myles is the 1,804^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. [6] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Myles is ranked the 595^th most popular surname with an estimated 77 people with that name. [7]

 Migration of the Myles family to Ireland

Some of the Myles family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

 Myles migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Myles or a variant listed above.