GREGORY MILLER

Via Latin Gregorius from the post-classical Greek name Gregōrios ‘watchful’ (a derivative of gregōrein ‘to watch, be vigilant’). The name was a very popular one among the early Christians, who were mindful of the injunction ‘be sober, be vigilant’ (1 Peter 5:8). It was borne by a number of early saints. The most important, in honour of whom the name was often bestowed from medieval times onwards, were Gregory of Nazianzen (c.329–90), Gregory of Nyssa (d. c.395), Gregory of Tours (538–94), and Pope Gregory the Great (c.540–604). A famous bearer of the name in modern times is the film star Gregory Peck (1916–2003). The name has traditionally been popular in Scotland, where it is often found in the form Gregor.

English and Scottish: occupational name for a miller. The standard modern vocabulary word represents the northern Middle English term, an agent derivative of mille ‘mill’, reinforced by Old Norse mylnari (see Milner). In southern, western, and central England Millward (literally, ‘mill keeper’) was the usual term. The American surname has absorbed many cognate surnames from other European languages, for example French Meunier, Dumoulin, Demoulins, and Moulin; German Mueller; Dutch Molenaar; Italian Molinaro; Spanish Molinero; Hungarian Molnár; Slavic Mlinar, etc.