The name Miles comes from the Germanic name Milo and is believed to be derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." Other theories suggest that it's related to the Slavic element milŭ, meaning "gracious" or "dear." Then again, it can simply be a sporty name inspired by the miles you run or drive. The name has appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names every year since 1900, but has seen a resurgence since the turn of the century. It has now been a top-100 boy's name every year since 2018 and cracked the top-50 for the first time ever in 2023. It's also the name "Good Girls" star Mae Whitman gave her son Miles, born in 2024. Many parents today prefer to spell it Myles, like NFL player Myles Garrett.
