2000
#4,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,677
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Rare Last name
Wallin
Derived from a place name meaning "bank by a spring" in Old English or "foreigner" in Old German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,579 Americans carry the last name Wallin. That puts it at #5,123 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wallin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wallin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.6K
1 in 45,224
Census rank
#5,123
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,609 bearers of the surname Wallin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5123rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wallin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wallin
The surname WALLIN is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "walh" or "wealh," which referred to a Briton or a foreigner. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who was perceived as a stranger or outsider in a particular community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a person named Walter le Waleys, which is believed to be an early variant of the surname WALLIN.
One notable historical figure with this surname was John Wallin, an English scholar and clergyman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in 1558 and served as the Rector of Polstead in Suffolk from 1596 until his death in 1621.
Another person of note was William Wallin, an English composer and organist who lived in the 17th century. He was born around 1615 and served as the organist at St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich, where he is believed to have died in 1668.
In the 18th century, there was a Swedish clergyman named Jakob Wallin who lived from 1707 to 1790. He was a prominent figure in the Swedish Lutheran Church and served as the Archbishop of Uppsala from 1772 until his death.
The 19th century saw the birth of Gustav Wallin, a Swedish poet and bishop who lived from 1811 to 1894. He is best known for his contributions to Swedish literature, particularly his religious poetry and hymns.
Finally, one of the most notable figures with this surname was Johan Olof Wallin, a Swedish writer and hymnist who lived from 1779 to 1839. He is considered one of the greatest poets in the Swedish language and is known for his contributions to the Swedish hymnal, which included many of his own compositions.
While the surname WALLIN has its roots in England, it has also been prevalent in other parts of Europe, particularly in Scandinavia. Over time, it has spread to various regions and countries, reflecting the mobility and migration of people throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wallin
Among Census respondents with the surname Wallin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wallin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wallin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 6,083
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 242
- Two or more races2.6% · 175
- Black or African American0.6% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wallin
Wallin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,034
+357 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#5,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,609
-425 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,823 | 6,677 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,995 | 7,034 | 2.38 | +357 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #5,123 | 6,609 | 2.21 | -425 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 128 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wallin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,995 | #5,123 | -2.6% |
| Count | 7,034 | 6,609 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.21 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wallin bearers went from 7,034 to 6,609 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,995 to #5,123.
FAQ
Wallin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wallin?
Name Census estimates that about 7,579 living Americans carry the surname Wallin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,224 residents.
How common is Wallin?
Wallin ranks #5,123 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,609 people with the surname Wallin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Wallin.
Has Wallin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wallin went from 7,034 recorded bearers to 6,609. That is a decrease of 425 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,995 to #5,123.
What does the Census say about the background of Wallin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wallin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wallin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (6,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wallin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wallin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wallin mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "bank by a spring" in Old English or "foreigner" in Old German. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wallin (2.21 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Wallin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Wallin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.