2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Wilce
An English habitational surname referring to someone from Wilce, Northumberland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Wilce. That puts it at #115,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,872,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilce 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 Wilce with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
183
1 in 1,872,975
Census rank
#115,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
160
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 160 bearers of the surname Wilce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilce
The surname Wilce has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the southwestern regions, particularly around Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. The name likely derives from an Old English personal name or a combination of elements signifying "will" or "desire" and "ceorl" meaning "freeman" or "peasant".
Historical references to the surname Wilce can be traced back to various old records. One of the earliest mentions is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard Wilce is documented. This early appearance suggests the name was already established by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, there is a recorded instance of a John Wilce in the parish registers of St Michael's Church in Gloucester. Another notable mention is of Thomas Wilce in the Muster Rolls of Herefordshire in 1581. These records not only mark the surname's presence in specific regions but also provide insight into the individuals bearing the name during this period.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Wilce surname continued to appear in various legal documents and parish records. A prominent example is William Wilce, born in 1645, who served as a yeoman in Gloucestershire and is mentioned in the Hearth Tax records of 1671. This period also saw the migration of some individuals with the surname to other parts of England and the New World.
The 19th century provided more tangible references to the Wilce surname. One notable figure is Frederick Wilce, born in 1833, who gained recognition as a local landowner and philanthropist in Herefordshire. Another significant person is George Wilce, born in 1852, who became a respected solicitor in London, contributing to the legal profession and leaving a mark on the city's historical records.
Throughout its history, the Wilce surname has shown a consistent presence in the southwestern regions of England and has been borne by individuals of varying social standings, from freemen and yeomen to professionals. The name's rich etymological roots and historical appearances underscore its enduring legacy in English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilce
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilce 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 Wilce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 145
- Two or more races5.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilce
Wilce 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
-14 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,690 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+24 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 10,332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | -14 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 16,690 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | +24 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 10,332 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 Wilce 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 | #126,018 | #115,686 | 8.2% |
| Count | 136 | 160 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilce bearers went from 136 to 160 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 10,332 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #115,686.
FAQ
Wilce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilce?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Wilce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Wilce?
Wilce ranks #115,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 160 people with the surname Wilce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wilce.
Has Wilce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilce went from 136 recorded bearers to 160. That is an increase of 24 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #126,018 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Wilce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Wilce (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 Wilce mean?
An English habitational surname referring to someone from Wilce, Northumberland. 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 Wilce (0.05 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 have the surname Wilce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.