Map of Scotland showing where the Millikin arms are recorded
The Millikin arms were recorded in Renfrew, c. 1748.
Renfrewshire lay along the lower Clyde, farming country that later filled with trade. Its landed families were long-settled, and long settlement is what brought them into the register.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Scotland in this period.
George II of Great Britain
Sovereign of the period
George II of Great Britain
1727–1760
Reigning in Scotland when the Millikin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Scotland
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
Granting authority
The Court of the Lord Lyon acts as the official body that regulates and controls all heraldic matters throughout Scotland.
How they got arms
Individuals obtain a legal right to their arms through a formal petition process that confirms their identity and family connection.
Where arms were recorded
All valid coats of arms are officially entered into the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings starting from 1672.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Renfrew.
Origin & History of the Millikin Family in Scotland
The surname Millikin is primarily of Scottish origin and is historically linked to the Lowland region of Renfrewshire. The name is often considered a diminutive form of the name Mill, which suggests that early ancestors may have been associated with the operation of a grain mill or lived near one. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the family was firmly established in the town of Renfrew. Records from 1748 confirm their presence in this area, where they lived as part of a community deeply rooted in local agriculture and trade. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved through various forms, such as Milliken or Milligan, as families moved across Scotland and eventually migrated to other parts of the world. These early generations were typically common folk who contributed to the local economy and social fabric of their Scottish parishes.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Maol
A Gaelic term meaning a tonsured servant or devotee.
This name
MillikinDerived from the son of the devotee of Saint Cainnech or Saint Kenneth.
also spelled
Millikin
Myllyken
Myliken
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Black, George Fraser. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. 1946
National Records of Scotland. Old Parish Registers, Renfrew. 1748
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
