Miles

See also: miles and mīlēs

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French given name Milo, of problematic origin, possibly from an unknown Germanic element, or a short form of Slavic names beginning with mil- "grace, favor". The English form is associated by folk etymology with Latin mīles (soldier).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -aɪlz

Proper noun

Miles

  1. A male given name.
    • 1858 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Courtship of Miles Standish:
      Clad in doublet and hose, and boots of Cordovan leather, / Strode, with a martial air, Miles Standish the Puritan Captain.
    • 2011 Ali Smith, There but for the, Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN, page 191:
      Just one thing, if I may, Mark said. It's Miles, his name. Not Milo.
      Yeah, I know, Anna's always going on about that too. But Milo's better, Milo's got something about it, hasn't it? the man said. It's catchier. It's catching on round the camp, Milo, where Miles sounds a bit, well, wet. A bit middle class, you know?
  2. A patronymic surname, also derived from a Middle English form of Michael.

References

  • Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges: A Concise Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press 2001.

Anagrams

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