According to mythology the island took its name from its first inhabitant, Milos. (Milos, according to legend, was the son of a royal family in Cyprus and the goddess Venus sent him to populate the island after the suicide of his parents.

Naming, however, is likely the evolution of the pre-Hellenic word "Vilos" which meant sheep.

According to Greek mythology the creation of the Cyclades is attributed to the god, Neptune. It is said that the god of sea transformed the nymphs, Cyclades, into islands when they angered him.

Other legends refer to their name as being derived from the word meaning circle as the islands are scattered around the sacred island of Delos or because the winds that blow strongly in this region forced the boats to spin out of control.

Mythical fables are attributed to the formation of each island while legends reflect their turbulent history. Due to the location of the Cyclades between the continents of Greece, Asia and Africa, they were a trading link throughout their history and spread the development of culture to the surrounding regions.