Millie Name Meaning (Origin, Popularity & Nicknames)

What Does Millie Mean?

Mille is an Anglo nickname used mainly for Millicent, meaning “strong in work,” and Mildred, meaning “gentle strength.” It derives from the Old German Amalasuintha, a name originating in the Middle Ages. Amalasuintha is made up of the Old German “amal,” meaning “work,” and “swinth,” meaning “strong.”

Other meanings include “bee” or “honey bee” in Greek. It can mean “gentle advisor,” “industrious,” and “strength” in English.

What Is the Origin of the Name Millie?

Millie is a nickname based on names like Millicent and Mildred. It means both “gentle strength” and “strong in work.” It relates to the Old German Amalasuintha and the Norman Melisande. They both derive from Amalaswinth, meaning “labor” and “strength.” Millie is also a short version of Emily, taken from the Latin name Aemilia and the Roman surname Aemilius.

In addition to Millicent and Mildred, Millie can be used for multiple female names, including Camille. It’s often found in place of any girl’s name using the “Mil-” prefix, like Mila, Milania. As a stand-alone name, it’s more common in the U.K. and Ireland but has increased in usage in recent years in the U.S.

How Popular Is the Name Millie?

Millie recently ranked 250th for girls in the U.S. It’s been on the American naming charts since 1880 and was quite popular from the early 20th-century through the 1930s. Millie ranked in the top 1,000 U.S. names until 1966.

It fell from grace through the 1980s and 1990s but has experienced a resurgence in the early 21st-century. Millie re-entered the top 500 in the U.S. in 2015 and remains somewhat popular in the U.K. and Ireland.

How Do I Pronounce Millie?

Millie is pronounced both “MIHL-iy” and “MIY-Liy” in English.

Is Millie a Boy or Girl Name?

Millie has always stood in for girls’ names, but the similar Emil is the boy’s equivalent.

Variations of Millie

Millie doesn’t vary all that much between cultures:

• Emili (Croatian)
• Emy (French)
• Milja (Finnish)
• Milka(Polish)
• Milla (Finnish)
• Milla (Swedish)
• Mille (Danish)
• Milly(Norwegian)

Nicknames for Millie

Though already short, Millie can be shortened further as a nickname:

• Illie
• Lee
• Mill
• Mills
• Millsy
• Milz
• Mimi

Similar Names to Millie

Not all similar names to Millie end in “-ie” or “-y,” but a good amount do:

• Casey
• Celia
• Charlotte
• Chloe
• Daisy
• Eloise
• Eve
• Gillian
• Grace
• Hailey
• Hazel
• Ivy
• Jane
• Lily
• Maisie
• Ruby
• Sadie
• Stella
• Thelma
• Tilly

Middle Names for Millie

Millie is cute enough to go along with any of these feminine middle names:

• April
• Autumn
• Elaine
• Fae
• Georgina
• Imogen
• Isabelle
• Jane
• Jasmine
• Josephine
• June
• Juniper
• Justine
• Marie
• Opal
• Paige
• Piper
• Primrose
• Rose
• Therese

Sibling Names for Millie

Give Millie’s siblings the perfect name to match her:

• Candace
• Etta
• Fergus
• Finlay
• Gilbert
• Gordon
• Hugo
• Isa
• Jocelyn
• Justin
• Lia
• Mika
• Nina
• Otto
• Rosalind
• Rosamund
• Rufus
• Sadie
• Sophie
• Victor

Famous People Named Millie

Famous women named Millie exist from England and the U.S. to Puerto Rico and Scotland:

• Millie Bright: English footballer for Chelsea.
• Millie Corretjer: Puerto Rican singer known for “Sola” (1995).
• Millie Criswell: American romance novel writer.
• Millie Davis: Canadian actress on the kids’ show “Odd Squad.”
• Millie DeLeon: American burlesque dancer called “The Queen of All Dancers.”
• Millie Deegan: American baseball player for the Rockford Peaches.
• Millie Gamble: Canadian photographer with work in the National Gallery of Canada archives.
• Millie Goldsholl: American director of “Up is Down” (1969).
• Millie Hamner: Member of the Colorado State House of Representatives.
• Millie Hudson: English diver competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
• Millie Innes: Scottish actress appearing in the kids’ show “Millie Inbetween.”
• Millie Jackson: American R&B singer with three gold records.
• Millie Knight: English Paralympic skier competing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
• Millie O’Connell: English actress known for starring in Six the Musical, a 2019 West End Production.
• Millie Peacock: First woman elected to the Victorian Parliament.
• Millie Perkins: American actress in “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959).
• Millie Scott: American R&B singer who toured with The Temptations.
• Millie Small: Jamaican singer-songwriter known for “My Boy Lollipop” (1964).
• Millie Spalding: English gold medal gymnast at the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
• Millie Tomlinson: English squash player with 14 PSA tour titles.

Millie in Popular Culture

Millie lends itself to popular children’s characters, comic books, and video games:

• Millicent “Millie” Mudd: Main character in the webcomic “Ozy and Millie.”
• Millicent “Millie” Tant: Character in the English comic “Viz.”
• Millie Dillmount: Main character in the film “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (1967).
• Millie Frock: Character from the animated series “Bob’s Burgers.”
• Millie Mouse: One of Minnie Mouse’s twin nieces in the “Mickey Mouse” franchise.
• Millie Rusk: Character appearing in the 2021 film “Free Guy.”
• Millie the Echidna: Mascot for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
• Millie the Model: Title character in the Marvel comic book series.
• Millie: Character appearing in the video game Suikoden 2.
• Millie: Character from the web series “Helluva Boss.”
• Millie: Main character of the 1950s “Meet Millie” series.

Millie FAQs

Unearth more about Millie and its history as a name here.

What Does Millie Mean in the Bible?

Among the many names Millie is based on, one can be found in the Hebrew Bible, Camille. Camille is derived from the Hebrew Karmel, meaning “a garden of God” or “to be in the Almighty’s meadow.” The very similar Karmel or Carmel is also sometimes used to indicate the Virgin Mother Mary of Mount Carmel.

Is Milly or Millie More Common?

Millie and Milly are nicknames for Mildred and Millicent, among other girls’ names. Both names are considered popular since sweet old lady names have returned in vogue. Millie is the more popular spelling of the two, with about 100 U.S. girls named Milly recently. Millie is typically found in the top 500 girls’ names in the U.S., so it experiences much more usage overall.

What Does Millie Mean in Irish?

Millie and the plural “Milles” were also used as slang in England and Northern Ireland in the 19th-century. It specifically referred to a mill worker or young woman working at a factory in a working-class job. Millie can be derogatory, referring to a crass woman or one dressed poorly.