Millward

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An English family name originally given to a person who looked after or managed a local mill
2. A surname of English origin, traditionally borne by someone who tended or supervised a grain mill
3. A traditional English surname derived from an occupation connected with keeping and watching over a mill

Etymology: Millward is an English occupational surname, and its history is simply that of its two parts. "Mill" comes from Old English "myln," a building where grain was ground, and "ward" from Old English "weard," a guard or keeper. Put together, the name belonged to a man placed in charge of a mill, the miller's overseer or watchman, a role that mattered in medieval villages where the mill was often the most valuable piece of communal machinery. Surnames of this type were formed in the same way as Hayward (keeper of the hedges) or Woodward (keeper of the woods), so Millward belongs to a family of names that record what people did for a living. Over time, such names were passed down through generations and stopped reflecting the work, leaving a surname that now simply identifies a family.