Milo
Milo was the 119th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,974 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 169 places. More babies were named Milo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Germanic, Latin
Say it MY-loh /ˈmaɪloʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #119 boys, up 15 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,974boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20223,115 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,313babies recorded
What does the name Milo mean?
Milo is an old name used in Latin documents across medieval Europe. DMNES describes it as a short form of Germanic names beginning with an element meaning 'mild, good, generous', and notes it was often confused with Miles; Wiktionary calls Milo a Latin form of Miles. Wikipedia adds other unrelated sources, including the Slavic element mil, 'kind, dear', and an ancient Greek name that it connects with milos, 'yew tree'. DMNES finds Milo in English records from 1189.
*mildijaz (Proto-Germanic, “mild, good, generous”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES gives a Germanic 'mild' origin; Wiktionary and Wikipedia also link it with Miles and with Slavic and Greek names.
Related names: Miles, Myles, Mylo, Milos, Miloš.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Milo', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Milo', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Milo (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Milo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 466 since 1921, 21 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #119 | 2,974 |
| 2020 | #134 | 2,768 |
| 2010 | #423 | 655 |
| 2000 | #1,113 | 127 |
| 1990 | #1,197 | 83 |
| 1980 | #1,425 | 45 |
| 1970 | #1,126 | 54 |
| 1960 | #1,066 | 53 |
| 1950 | #693 | 98 |
| 1940 | #594 | 100 |
| 1930 | #477 | 156 |
| 1920 | #399 | 217 |
| 1910 | #518 | 30 |
| 1900 | #505 | 22 |
| 1890 | #453 | 17 |
| 1880 | #339 | 26 |
How popular is Milo, counting every spelling?
Milo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #114 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #119 for Milo on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,374 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milo | 2,974 | #119 | 14,979 |
| Mylo | 357 | #737 | 1,933 |
| Miloh | 32 | #3,565 | 152 |
| Myloh | 11 | #7,525 | 52 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Milo?
2,974 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Milo (0.82 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Milo born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Milo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Milo?
About 37,700 people born in the US named Milo are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Milo a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Milo by state
How common Milo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.6×), Utah (3.0×), Hawaii (2.9×), Alaska (2.7×), South Dakota (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Milo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Milo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Milo · Sibling names for Milo
Milo is also a nickname for Emilio.
Questions about the name Milo
What does Milo mean?
The origin of Milo is uncertain: DMNES gives a Germanic 'mild' origin; Wiktionary and Wikipedia also link it with Miles and with Slavic and Greek names.
How popular is the name Milo?
Milo was the 119th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,974 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 169 places. More babies were named Milo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Milo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Milo in the US.
Where is Milo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Milo was most common in Vermont (6.21 per 1,000 boys), followed by Utah and Hawaii.