Find out how popular the last name Walls is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Walls.

Walls, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Walls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walls in America

Walls is the 842nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walls surname appeared 41,025 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Walls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walls to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Walls

The surname Walls is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates back to the medieval period in England. It is derived from the Old English word "weall," meaning a wall or rampart, and refers to someone who lived near a wall or worked as a builder of walls or fortifications.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Walles." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "atte Walle," "de la Walle," and "del Wall," indicating its association with specific locations or buildings with walls. These early spellings also reflect the influence of Norman French on the English language at the time.

The Walls surname is closely associated with certain places in England, such as Wall in Staffordshire and Wallington in Hertfordshire, both of which derive their names from the Old English word "weall." This suggests that the surname may have originated in these areas, where families lived near or worked on the construction of local walls or fortifications.

One notable individual with the surname Walls was William Walls (c. 1590-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, including "The Orthodox Faith and Way to the Church" in 1659.

Another prominent figure was John Walls (1670-1737), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several works on celestial mechanics.

In the literary world, Elizabeth Walls (1689-1762) was an English poet and playwright, known for her tragedy "The Memorable Masque" and her collection of poems titled "Lyrical Miscellanies."

During the American Revolution, Ebenezer Walls (1745-1826) was a soldier in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

More recently, Michael Walls (1939-2011) was an English actor and screenwriter, best known for his work on the television series "Porridge" and "The Likely Lads."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Walls, highlighting its long-standing presence and diverse origins across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walls

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Walls.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Walls was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Walls has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Walls was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Walls, please contact us.

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