Fun Facts About the Name Milla
- More than 2 thousand babies named Milla: U.S. records list 2,135 babies given the name Milla from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Milla Mean?
Milla is a feminine given name used in several European languages, and it works mainly as a short form, or pet form, of longer names. Because of that, it has no single etymology: its meaning depends on the name it shortens, and the most common parent names belong to Slavic, Latin, and Germanic traditions.
In Slavic languages, Milla (usually spelled with one l as Mila) shortens names built on the element mil, from Proto-Slavic *milъ, "dear, gracious, merciful." These include Milena, Milica, and Ludmila, formed from ljudъ, "people," plus mil - literally "dear to the people," commonly understood as "beloved of the people."
In German, Scandinavian, and Hungarian use, Milla is more often a pet form of Camilla or Emilia. Camilla is a Latin name of uncertain, probably Etruscan origin, usually connected with Latin camillus, a young attendant at religious rites. Emilia comes from the Roman family name Aemilius, generally derived from Latin aemulus, "rival" or "emulating." In English, Milla can also stand for Mildred, from Old English Mildþryð, "gentle strength" (mild, "gentle," plus þryð, "strength").
Milla Name History & Origins
Milla's history is largely the history of the short forms that feed it. Slavic-speaking regions have long used Mila and Milla as everyday forms of Milena, Milica, and Ludmila; the actress Milla Jovovich, born Milica Jovovich in Kyiv in 1975, is a modern example of that pattern. In the Nordic countries, Milla is also established as a given name in its own right, not only as a nickname, and it is associated there chiefly with Emilia and Camilla. German and Hungarian usage follows the same habit, with Milla serving as a familiar form of Camilla and Emilia.
Two details set Milla apart from its parent names. The spelling with a double l is characteristic of the Nordic and German forms, while the single-l Mila is the usual spelling in Slavic and Romance countries. And as short forms have been registered more often as official given names in their own right, Milla now frequently appears on its own rather than as a nickname attached to a longer name.
In modern fiction, Milla has been used for characters such as Milla Vodello in the video game Psychonauts; such uses draw on the name's existing currency rather than creating it.
How Popular is the Name Milla?
Milla has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2011. Its best rank was #1,401 in 1892.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,817 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2024 | #4,250 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2023 | #4,098 | 36 | 0.0022% |
| 2022 | #4,170 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 2021 | #2,949 | 57 | 0.0035% |
| 2020 | #2,842 | 58 | 0.0036% |
| 2019 | #3,431 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #3,191 | 51 | 0.0030% |
| 2017 | #2,626 | 67 | 0.0039% |
| 2016 | #3,046 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 2015 | #2,309 | 81 | 0.0045% |
| 2014 | #2,065 | 95 | 0.0053% |
| 2013 | #1,895 | 106 | 0.0060% |
| 2012 | #1,606 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 2011 | #1,530 | 144 | 0.0082% |
| 2010 | #1,666 | 128 | 0.0072% |
| 2009 | #1,751 | 125 | 0.0068% |
| 2008 | #1,640 | 138 | 0.0073% |
| 2007 | #2,051 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2006 | #1,784 | 117 | 0.0062% |
| 2005 | #2,026 | 93 | 0.0050% |
| 2004 | #2,467 | 69 | 0.0038% |
| 2003 | #3,330 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 2002 | #2,732 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 2001 | #4,408 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2000 | #3,570 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1999 | #3,770 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1998 | #4,749 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #5,347 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #15,051 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #6,722 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1951 | #5,237 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #4,500 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #5,465 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1942 | #5,140 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1933 | #4,666 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #4,775 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #3,932 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #5,382 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #3,571 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #5,540 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1919 | #4,630 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1914 | #3,486 | 6 | 0.0008% |
| 1892 | #1,401 | 6 | 0.0028% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Milla Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Milla's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Milla's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.