Holders of the Miller surname have reason to be proud of their ancestors. After all, information about them can be found in a variety of documents that confirm the trace they left in history. The nationality and origin of the name Miller will be discussed in the article.
Professional nickname
According to researchers, the origin of the name Miller is rooted in the English language. It is a fairly common type of generic names, which are formed from the personal nickname of their founder.
The origin of the Miller surname is a professional nickname. It indicates the area in which its carrier worked. Translated from English, Miller is the owner of the mill or its employee, that is, a flour mill.
Miller - a popular figure
As a rule, people in this profession were in great demand. In this regard, the studied surname in England is among the most used. Millers lived in almost all settlements of the country. They often wore nicknames appropriate to their occupation.
There is another version of the origin of the name Miller. It says that the generic nickname is an inaccurate version of the record of the surname Mueller, which came from Germany. However, she also means "miller." The Germans this profession was no less popular than the British.
On Russian soil
In Russia, individual migrants arriving from the British Isles appeared at the end of the 16th century. In addition to the English merchants, these were hired Scottish soldiers who left their homeland for religious and other reasons.
There, the Millers have been known since the 18th century. Most likely, they were immigrants from European countries. Among them were businessmen seeking to open their own business, as well as military and other employees invited to good places. There were also educators who entered the noble families.
During the reign of Catherine II, entrepreneur Miller in St. Petersburg established a silk wool factory. In the middle of the 19th century, Miller was known, who was the compiler of German language textbooks. This surname was also borne by the person who wrote a popular guide describing medical places located in southern Europe.
Continuing to study the origin of the Miller surname, it should be noted that in the Russian Empire the Germans-colonists could also wear it. About one third of them lived in the Volga region, in Ukraine and were in the Russian service. The other part is Jews whose surname was not related to the profession of their ancestors. It was given by the will of the authorities.
