Million
A rare surname of uncertain origin, probably a corruption or diminutive of another name rather than a direct reference to the number.
The #9,978 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 95,498 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Million is not well explained in the older surname literature. One 19th-century authority suggests it may be a corruption of St. Mellion in Cornwall, while also noting that it could be a diminutive form derived from some other surname. A later French source lists Million alongside French forms related to millet or similar-looking names, but that does not prove the same origin in English bearers.
History
The name is recorded as a surname in England by the 16th century, at least in the records cited by 19th-century writers. Because it is so rare, it has attracted speculation rather than a settled explanation. Modern bearers may descend from more than one independent line, especially if the name arose separately in English and French contexts.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname writer even remarked that the name was unusual enough to be noticed in the Registrar-General’s reports.
From the historical record
“MILKSOP. Same as the U. S. name Milsop. See HOPE. MILLION. A name occurring in the sixteenth report of the Registrar-General. Lower thinks it may be a corruption of St. Mellion co. Cornwall. It is probably a diminutive of some other surname. MINNOW. From Fr. menu, slender, small, thin. MISSING. From Messing, a…”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames