Milo

MY-loh /ˈmaɪ.loʊ/

Boy Old German Modern Classic top 100 Rising — climbing in current registries

Meaning of Milo

Root meaning "soldier, merciful"

Milo is the Latinised form of an Old German name — most likely from milhi ('merciful') or from milo ('soldier'); etymologists disagree on which root dominates. The name had long quiet use in continental Europe and entered English fashion sharply from the late 2000s, around the time of the Disney film The Adventures of Milo and Otis.

Current popularity of Milo

Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.

RegistryYearRank
United States (SSA)2024#80
United Kingdom (ONS)2024#25

Notable bearers of Milo

Milo of Croton (ancient Greek wrestler); Milo Ventimiglia (actor).

Similar names & variants

Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.

MilesMyloMilos

Sibling-name suggestions

Names that pair stylistically with Milo — useful as middle names or for siblings.

LeoTheoHazelIrisLuna

About this entry

Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-31