Milch

Recorded in many forms from the basic spellings of Mil, Mila, Milch, Milec, Milk, Milich, Milacek, and Milosz, to more exotic patronymic and diminutive spellings such as the Milosevic, Milosch, Mielost, Milojevic, Milowitz, Miljevic, and Milisavljevic, this is a surname of Germanic, Czech, or Slav origins. It derives either from the word "mil" a pre 7th century word meaning a mill, and hence a metonymic for a mill owner or mill worker, or from the Czech "mily" meaning dear one, or possibly the Slavonic "mil" meaning merciful. These latter two were baptismal names which probably date back to the early Christian period around the 4th to the 8th centuries a.d. As to when they became surnames is unclear, as the surviving records from most East European countries are at best erratic and at the worst, non-existent. Furthermore whereas many German surname are recorded in the 12th century, and occasionally even earlier, those records which have survived from Eastern Europe rarely predate the Napoleonic Wars of 1794 - 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte was considered with good reason to be suffering from meglomaniacal tendancies, but there is no doubt that in those areas where he did establish his creed, the rule of law and order generally greatly benefitted. Early examples of the surname recording taken from early rolls, charters and registers include:Hugo Milchli of Zurich, Switzerland, in the year 1293, and Gunther Milwitz of Wurzberg, Germany, in 1468.