Hi Kerry,
Your surname is of South Slavic orgins but can exist:
- as a name it is predominantly of Serbian orogins and means "dear, gentle, kind,..."
- as a surname it exists in Croatia, on Dalmation coast. It probably a result of Ottoman empire's expansion west that pushed Bulgarians or Macedonians or Serbs into today's Croatia. Most of people from this surname in Croatia are from towns of Nin or Sibenik, both on Adriatic coast. I was born in Sibenik and I used to know people with your surname. As for the meaning, I am not aware of any, so let's stick to "dear or gentle".
Cheers,
Ivo
Milutin surname came from a name Milutin a Slavic name derived from the word "mil, mio, mili" which is very common in many Slavic names meaning "mio and drag". (croatian) - "kind and dear (english.)".
Milutin is a male name of Old Slavic origin. Derived from the Slavic word "mil" in a figurative sense as "milo, umiljato (croatian)".
Derived from the name Milica (female name).
The female form of this name is Milutina.
Other forms of this name are: Milan, Milko, Milanijo, Milanko, Milen, Milenko, Miliko, Milinko, Milkan, Miljoljko, Milojko, Milun, Miljko, Miljenko, Milunko, Miljan, Miluinko, Milutinko, Milos, Milance, Mile, Milentije, Mileta, Milo, Miloica, Miloje, Milonja, Milojica, Milca, Milsa.
A your family branch was from a Šibenik and Nin area.
A surname Milutin is a memory of the first ancestor who was named Milutin, when was a period and when a only a first names was used before surnames and later became a surname.
A origin of the name and surname is not only from a south how Ivica mentioned up. When this name and surname was a first mentioned, can be found in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, later after Ottoman wars also in Croatia.
Roots of the name Milutin (not only for a surname) you can firstly found in Bosnia (west part in Herzegovina) and Serbia (south part). A family with surname of Milutin was a one of tribes in Bosnia, before when a members migrated to other places and countries. They had a couple branches, if you are looking for more informations and etc...,then you need to process a yours deeply research.
Some of family members were a different religion not only roman-catholic, they were changed a religions in some cases, but today (and also was before) you have with the Roman-Catholic, Orthodox-east and Greek-Orthodox, and possible maybe with Jewish religion, but with your researching you will see, who all was mentioned and had a that religions.
How I understood, a first religion of the name Milutin and family surname Milutin was Orthodox-east religion.
Today a surname Milutin exist not only in Croatia or USA, also exists in other parts and countries of Ex-Yugoslavia.
FYI, for other names and surnames you can see it and find in the project: https://www.geni.com/projects/The-etymology-and-history-of-first-names-and-surnames/4474996 , and from a other useful sources.
Anyone can join to the project or just follow it.
David Mothkovich Goodman (as good man) is on croatian what is a "Dobar čovjek" what is also a one kind of personal characteristic, but this is more closely connected with the kind of personal characteristic like a below:
1. who caresses, who wins affection by gentle, gentle conduct; smooth, pleasant, endearing
2. lovely, sweet, beautiful
3. humble = ponizan
More you can see at: what means umiljat and others:
At german is hercig (germ. herzig, Herz) - > croat. mio, umiljat,dražestan, lijep, krasan
A "Dobar čovjek" (Good man, or Goodman) as personal characteristic mostly a connected with the surnames Dobrić, Dobričević, Dobrijević (Dobrich, Dobričević, Dobrijevich)