Given name & surname
Millie
“rival”·“woman of gentle strength”·“a woman with great strength and determination”
In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain. Millie is a variant of Mildred. One English interpretation is “woman of gentle strength.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. The Roman family name behind Emily is probably connected with the Latin word for “rival,” although that derivation is uncertain. Millie is a variant of Mildred. One English interpretation is “woman of gentle strength.” In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Millicent. One French interpretation is “a woman with great strength and determination.” In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Camilla. In Italian use, Camilla carries the interpretation “a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Amelia. Amelia is an English name with a proposed blended origin, joining Emilia with the Latinized Germanic name Amalia. That account remains a hypothesis rather than a settled single-language derivation. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. Emily is an English development of the Latin feminine name Aemilia. Millie is a variant of Mildred. An origin associated with Mildred is Old English. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Millicent. An origin associated with Millicent is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. In English usage, Millie is a diminutive of Amelia. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Amelia. The shared background comes through Amelia: One explanation treats Amelia as a cross between Emilia and Amalia. The resemblance to both names is part of the proposal, but the precise stages by which the spelling developed remain uncertain. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. The shared background comes through Emily: Aemilia is the feminine form of Aemilius. Emily developed through a medieval version of that name; the proposed root is aemulus, “rival.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Amelia. The history of Amelia gives this family its wider story. Henry Fielding used Amelia for the heroine and title of his 1751 novel, giving the name a clear eighteenth-century literary association. Amelia’s earlier development is less certain. In English use, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. The history of Emily gives this family its wider story. Emily was relatively uncommon in the Middle Ages and was revived in the nineteenth century. At that time, Emilia and the separately rooted Amelia were often confused, helping explain their overlapping naming histories.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Millie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,138
- 212 boys · 45,926 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,353 babies
- 2025
- 3,353
- #73 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +129%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,353 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 73 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 129.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (248). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 17,079 as a first name in 2020; 208 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Millie’s family of names
In English usage, Millie is a diminutive of Emily. Millie has a related form in Mildred. In English usage, Millie is a diminutive of Amelia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Millie
- Millie Bobby BrownEnglish actress (born 2004)
- Millie Hughes-Fulfordastronaut, academic researcher (1945-2021)
- Millie BrightEnglish association football playerborn 1993
- Millie PerkinsAmerican actress (born 1938)
- Millie SmallJamaican singer (1947–2020)
- Millie BradyBritish actressborn 1993
- Millie GibsonEnglish actressborn 2004
- Millie JacksonAmerican singerborn 1944
- Millie DavisCanadian actressborn 2006
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Millie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sylvie
Sylvie is used as a given name and a surname. Sylvie is connected with Silvia.
>99% girls
Juliette
“one who is youthful; daughter of the sky”
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Lyla
“night” · “born at night”
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Lucy
“light”
>99% girls
Lylah
“night” · “born at night”
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Emmy
“rival”
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Sophie
“having great wisdom and foresight”
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Ophelia
“help” · “one who offers help to others”
>99% girls