The English surname Mills, also found in Scotland and Ireland, is of topographic origin. The  name Mills was a given name for someone who lived near a mill, from the Middle English word mille, milne (Old English myl(e)n, from Latin molina, a derivative of molere  meaning “to grind.” It was usually in effect an occupational name for a worker at a mill or for the miller himself.The name is first recorded in English documents in the Domesday Book in 1086. A notable bearer of the surname Mills was the beloved British actor Sir John Mills. Sir John was born Louis Ernest Watts Mills in North Elmham, Norfolk on the 22nd of February 1908. He died in Denham, Buckinghamshire on the 23rd of April 2005. He is best known for his roles as wounded war heroes. He won an Academy Award in 1971 for his role as best supporting actor in the move Ryan's Daughter.

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