Miles is of debated origin and meaning, as is Milo, both names are often listed as being derivatives of each other, while many sources claim that these two names are not related at all. What is known as that both Miles and Milo appeared in use in England after the Norman Conquest.
It is argued that Miles itself comes from the Latin word for “soldier,” whereas Milo may be a hypochoristic form of any Germanic name beginning with the Old Germanic element *mildijaz (mild; good, generous). Other sources claim it was borrowed by the Germans from the common Slavic male name, Milan, which is derived from the Slavic milu (gracious; dear) and was spread across Medieval Europe by the Germans in the form of Milo.
A notable Medieval bearer was the French Bishop of Rheims, Milo of Trier (d. 762/763).
In Ancient Roman comic theatre, Miles Glorioso (braggert-soldier) was the name of a stock character.
The name is sometimes spelled, Myles, in which case it takes on a completely new etymology altogether. Myles is found in Greek mythology as the name of a king of Laconia. In this case, its meaning is unknown.
Miles is currently 105th most popular male name in the United States (2016), the 179th most popular in England and Wales (2016) and the 483rd most popular in the Netherlands (2016).
Its offshoot of Milo appears in the Top 100 in several countries, its rankings are as follows:
- #60 (Sweden, 2017)
- #83 (France, 2016)
- #93 (Belgium, 2015)
- #123 (England/Wales, 2016)
- #248 (United States, 2016)
Myles is currently the 230th most popular male name in the United States (2016) and the 211th most popular in England and Wales (2016).
Other forms and its language of use are as follows:
- Milo (Dutch/English/Finnish/French/German/Italian/Swedish)
- Miles (Dutch/English)
- Milon (French)
- Myles (English/Greek)
- Mylo (English)
- Milone (Italian)
Sources