At a glance
- In short
- Milo is an old Germanic boy's name of uncertain meaning, related to Miles.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #119 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 2,974 (0.16% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #134 in 2020 to #119 in 2025
- Peak
- #119 in 2025
- Top state
- #30 in Utah
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Milo
Milo is an old Germanic name brought to England by the Normans and closely related to Miles. Its original meaning is uncertain: it may come from a Slavic element meaning gracious, and it was long associated with Latin miles, soldier.
In ancient history, Milo of Croton was a celebrated Greek wrestler, and in literature Milo is the young hero of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth (1961). Well-known bearers today include the actors Milo Ventimiglia, of Gilmore Girls, and Milo Manheim, of Disney's Zombies films.
In the U.S., Milo ranked only 1,875th in 1993. It climbed sharply after 2000, entered the top 200 in 2018 and reached its highest rank, 119th, in 2025, when 2,974 boys were given the name. The most in a single year was 3,115, in 2022.
How to pronounce Milo
English
- Pronounced MY-loh /ˈmaɪlɔ/
Popularity of Milo in the U.S.
Milo was the #119 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 2,974 babies. It has been in the top 1,000 since 2001.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,974 | 119 | ▲ 1 |
| 2024 | 3,001 | 120 | ▲ 1 |
| 2023 | 2,971 | 121 | ▼ 1 |
| 2022 | 3,115 | 120 | ▲ 7 |
| 2021 | 2,918 | 127 | ▲ 7 |
| 2020 | 2,768 | 134 | ▲ 28 |
| 2019 | 2,442 | 162 | ▲ 16 |
| 2018 | 2,200 | 178 | ▲ 46 |
| 2017 | 1,705 | 224 | ▲ 24 |
| 2016 | 1,510 | 248 | ▲ 40 |
| 2015 | 1,284 | 288 | ▲ 23 |
| 2014 | 1,120 | 311 | ▲ 1 |
| 2013 | 1,098 | 312 | ▲ 13 |
| 2012 | 971 | 325 | ▲ 33 |
| 2011 | 838 | 358 | ▲ 65 |
| 2010 | 655 | 423 | ▲ 27 |
| 2009 | 618 | 450 | ▼ 6 |
| 2008 | 633 | 444 | ▲ 95 |
| 2007 | 476 | 539 | ▲ 134 |
| 2006 | 338 | 673 | ▲ 47 |
| 2005 | 282 | 720 | ▲ 47 |
| 2004 | 236 | 767 | ▲ 24 |
| 2003 | 220 | 791 | ▲ 16 |
| 2002 | 212 | 807 | ▲ 174 |
| 2001 | 156 | 981 | ▲ 126 |
| 2000 | 127 | 1,107 | ▲ 329 |
| 1999 | 81 | 1,436 | ▼ 212 |
| 1998 | 100 | 1,224 | ▲ 126 |
| 1997 | 82 | 1,350 | ▲ 305 |
| 1996 | 58 | 1,655 | ▲ 27 |
| 1995 | 53 | 1,682 | ▲ 52 |
| 1994 | 51 | 1,734 | ▲ 141 |
| 1993 | 44 | 1,875 | ▼ 125 |
| 1992 | 48 | 1,750 | ▼ 205 |
| 1991 | 56 | 1,545 | ▼ 348 |
| 1990 | 83 | 1,197 | ▲ 201 |
| 1989 | 61 | 1,398 | ▲ 273 |
| 1988 | 42 | 1,671 | ▼ 187 |
| 1987 | 48 | 1,484 | ▲ 81 |
| 1986 | 42 | 1,565 | ▼ 232 |
| 1985 | 52 | 1,333 | ▼ 93 |
| 1984 | 55 | 1,240 | ▼ 18 |
| 1983 | 56 | 1,222 | ▼ 72 |
| 1982 | 63 | 1,150 | ▲ 159 |
| 1981 | 50 | 1,309 | ▲ 101 |
| 1980 | 45 | 1,410 | ▼ 273 |
| 1979 | 62 | 1,137 | ▲ 49 |
| 1978 | 56 | 1,186 | ▼ 28 |
| 1977 | 57 | 1,158 | ▼ 108 |
| 1976 | 63 | 1,050 | ▲ 158 |
| 1975 | 49 | 1,208 | ▲ 21 |
| 1974 | 46 | 1,229 | ▼ 215 |
| 1973 | 63 | 1,014 | ▲ 93 |
| 1972 | 54 | 1,107 | ▼ 50 |
| 1971 | 59 | 1,057 | ▲ 60 |
| 1970 | 54 | 1,117 | ▲ 51 |
| 1969 | 45 | 1,168 | ▲ 15 |
| 1968 | 41 | 1,183 | ▼ 153 |
| 1967 | 50 | 1,030 | ▲ 70 |
| 1966 | 45 | 1,100 | ▼ 114 |
| 1965 | 56 | 986 | ▼ 19 |
| 1964 | 62 | 967 | ▲ 38 |
| 1963 | 57 | 1,005 | ▲ 51 |
| 1962 | 52 | 1,056 | ▼ 66 |
| 1961 | 61 | 990 | ▲ 68 |
| 1960 | 53 | 1,058 | ▼ 144 |
| 1959 | 70 | 914 | ▼ 7 |
| 1958 | 69 | 907 | ▼ 46 |
| 1957 | 76 | 861 | ▼ 52 |
| 1956 | 85 | 809 | ▼ 109 |
| 1955 | 109 | 700 | ▲ 32 |
| 1954 | 97 | 732 | ▲ 54 |
| 1953 | 82 | 786 | ▼ 65 |
| 1952 | 95 | 721 | ▼ 39 |
| 1951 | 104 | 682 | ▲ 9 |
| 1950 | 98 | 691 | ▲ 38 |
| 1949 | 89 | 729 | ▼ 60 |
| 1948 | 102 | 669 | ▲ 63 |
| 1947 | 88 | 732 | ▼ 56 |
| 1946 | 91 | 676 | ▼ 26 |
| 1945 | 86 | 650 | ▲ 62 |
| 1944 | 76 | 712 | ▼ 101 |
| 1943 | 107 | 611 | ▲ 149 |
| 1942 | 71 | 760 | ▼ 136 |
| 1941 | 94 | 624 | ▼ 33 |
| 1940 | 100 | 591 | ▲ 51 |
| 1939 | 85 | 642 | ▼ 33 |
| 1938 | 95 | 609 | ▼ 57 |
| 1937 | 111 | 552 | ▼ 38 |
| 1936 | 120 | 514 | ▲ 79 |
| 1935 | 95 | 593 | ▼ 80 |
| 1934 | 128 | 513 | ▼ 9 |
| 1933 | 124 | 504 | ▲ 20 |
| 1932 | 123 | 524 | ▼ 17 |
| 1931 | 128 | 507 | ▼ 31 |
| 1930 | 156 | 476 | ▲ 13 |
| 1929 | 144 | 489 | ▼ 4 |
| 1928 | 157 | 485 | ▲ 10 |
| 1927 | 151 | 495 | ▲ 33 |
| 1926 | 131 | 528 | ▼ 45 |
| 1925 | 157 | 483 | ▲ 2 |
| 1924 | 163 | 485 | ▼ 20 |
| 1923 | 174 | 465 | ▼ 34 |
| 1922 | 196 | 431 | ▲ 4 |
| 1921 | 197 | 435 | ▼ 36 |
| 1920 | 217 | 399 | ▲ 20 |
| 1919 | 196 | 419 | ▲ 13 |
| 1918 | 185 | 432 | ▼ 25 |
| 1917 | 193 | 407 | ▼ 8 |
| 1916 | 193 | 399 | ▲ 1 |
| 1915 | 180 | 400 | ▼ 10 |
| 1914 | 149 | 390 | ▲ 18 |
| 1913 | 112 | 408 | ▼ 15 |
| 1912 | 95 | 393 | ▲ 39 |
| 1911 | 45 | 432 | ▲ 80 |
| 1910 | 30 | 512 | ▼ 76 |
| 1909 | 33 | 436 | ▲ 27 |
| 1908 | 28 | 463 | ▼ 88 |
| 1907 | 36 | 375 | ▲ 19 |
| 1906 | 30 | 394 | ▲ 155 |
| 1905 | 18 | 549 | ▼ 83 |
| 1904 | 21 | 466 | ▼ 36 |
| 1903 | 22 | 430 | ▼ 15 |
| 1902 | 24 | 415 | ▼ 62 |
| 1901 | 27 | 353 | ▲ 137 |
| 1900 | 22 | 490 | ▼ 88 |
| 1899 | 21 | 402 | ▲ 16 |
| 1898 | 22 | 418 | ▲ 4 |
| 1897 | 20 | 422 | ▼ 84 |
| 1896 | 31 | 338 | ▲ 138 |
| 1895 | 18 | 476 | ▼ 109 |
| 1894 | 25 | 367 | ▲ 34 |
| 1893 | 20 | 401 | ▼ 89 |
| 1892 | 35 | 312 | ▲ 129 |
| 1891 | 16 | 441 | ▼ 7 |
| 1890 | 17 | 434 | ▲ 12 |
| 1889 | 17 | 446 | ▼ 30 |
| 1888 | 20 | 416 | ▼ 76 |
| 1887 | 23 | 340 | ▲ 8 |
| 1886 | 24 | 348 | ▲ 40 |
| 1885 | 21 | 388 | ▼ 13 |
| 1884 | 22 | 375 | ▲ 6 |
| 1883 | 20 | 381 | ▼ 49 |
| 1882 | 27 | 332 | ▲ 57 |
| 1881 | 19 | 389 | ▼ 55 |
| 1880 | 26 | 334 | – |
Milo by state
Milo ranks #30 in Utah (2025).
Rank by state 50 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | 30 | 100 |
| Hawaii | 37 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 47 | 101 |
| Wyoming | 47 | 9 |
| Vermont | 48 | 9 |
| Nebraska | 49 | 40 |
| Idaho | 52 | 35 |
| Colorado | 54 | 103 |
| Oregon | 55 | 60 |
| Montana | 55 | 18 |
| Alaska | 56 | 12 |
| South Dakota | 64 | 17 |
| Washington | 66 | 107 |
| District of Columbia | 82 | 10 |
| Michigan | 87 | 106 |
| Maine | 91 | 14 |
| Iowa | 92 | 39 |
| Rhode Island | 97 | 11 |
| Wisconsin | 100 | 60 |
| Maryland | 106 | 53 |
| Kansas | 107 | 35 |
| Indiana | 109 | 71 |
| Missouri | 109 | 64 |
| Massachusetts | 112 | 64 |
| Ohio | 116 | 115 |
| Pennsylvania | 119 | 107 |
| Nevada | 119 | 26 |
| Delaware | 126 | 8 |
| New York | 129 | 146 |
| Arizona | 129 | 68 |
| New Hampshire | 130 | 11 |
| California | 133 | 306 |
| Virginia | 134 | 66 |
| Kentucky | 140 | 40 |
| West Virginia | 140 | 14 |
| New Jersey | 141 | 68 |
| Oklahoma | 142 | 33 |
| Florida | 145 | 149 |
| Georgia | 147 | 82 |
| New Mexico | 148 | 13 |
| North Carolina | 149 | 87 |
| Arkansas | 151 | 24 |
| Connecticut | 151 | 24 |
| Illinois | 155 | 76 |
| Tennessee | 168 | 58 |
| North Dakota | 170 | 7 |
| Mississippi | 182 | 17 |
| Louisiana | 191 | 27 |
| Texas | 193 | 199 |
| South Carolina | 212 | 26 |
| Alabama | 260 | 21 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 100 | 15 |
Notable people named Milo
- Milo Anthony Ventimiglia is an American actor who debuted on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air in 1995, starred in Opposite Sex in 2000, and broke out on Gilmore Girls from 2001 to 2007.
- Milo Rau is a Swiss theatre director and writer known for political theatre, founder of the International Institute of Political Murder, and artistic director of NTGent from 2018 to 2023.
- Milo Jacob Manheim is an American actor best known for playing Zed in the Disney Zombies films, finishing runner-up on Dancing with the Stars in 2018, and starring in the Paramount Plus series School Spirits.
- Milo O'Shea was an Irish actor nominated for a BAFTA for Ulysses and twice for Tony Awards for Staircase and Mass Appeal.
- Milo Ray Baughman Jr was a modern furniture designer born in Goodland Kansas.
More people named Milo 10 more
- Milo Duçi was an Albanian publisher, playwright, and entrepreneur.
- Sir Milo Boughton Butler was a Bahamian politician who served as the second governor general of the Bahamas from 1973 to 1979 and died in office at age 72.
- Milo Randolph Perkins was an American Department of Agriculture economic expert and the first administrator of the Food Stamp Program.
- Milo Cress founded the Be Straw Free campaign and serves as its spokesperson in partnership with Eco-Cycle.
- Milo Yosef is a German professional forward for Lexington SC in the USL Championship.
- Milo Martin was a Swiss sculptor and medal artist.
- William Milo Keynes was a British doctor and author, educated at Oundle and Cambridge, who wrote on John Maynard Keynes, Isaac Newton, and the history of science and left rare artworks to the University of Cambridge.
- Islam Mohamed Ramadan Rashad, known as Milo, is an Egyptian left back for ZED FC in the Egyptian Premier League.
- Milo Gibson is an American actor, the son of Mel Gibson, known for roles in Hacksaw Ridge, Gangster Land, Breaking and Exiting, and All the Devils Men.
- Milo Hathaway Lockwood was a Major League Baseball outfielder and pitcher for the 1884 Washington Nationals of the Union Association.