2000
#4,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,797
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.89
Rare Last name
Wilhite
Derived from a place name meaning "white hill" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,938 Americans carry the last name Wilhite. That puts it at #4,411 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilhite 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.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,348
Census rank
#4,411
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,794 bearers of the surname Wilhite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4411th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhite, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilhite
The surname Wilhite has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wil" and "hyht," which together mean "willow wood" or "willow enclosure." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where willows grew abundantly or where there was an enclosed area surrounded by willows.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Wilehite" is listed as a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire, indicating the presence of the surname in England during the 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical records, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Wilhit, Wylhyte, and Wilhight. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Wilhite was mentioned in the Chronicles of Froissart, a historical work detailing the events of the Hundred Years' War. John Wilhite was a soldier who fought alongside the Black Prince in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another significant bearer of the name was William Wilhite, a wealthy merchant who lived in London during the 15th century. Records from the City of London Archives mention his involvement in trade with the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and towns.
In the 16th century, the name Wilhite was associated with the village of Wilhite in Shropshire, England. This place name likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname and may have been the original location from which the family name emerged.
During the 17th century, a prominent figure named Thomas Wilhite (1605-1672) was a Puritan clergyman who played a role in the English Civil War. He was known for his support of the Parliamentarian cause and his opposition to the policies of King Charles I.
As the centuries progressed, the Wilhite surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in diverse fields, from agriculture to art and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilhite
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhite, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilhite 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 Wilhite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.2% · 5,940
- Black or African American15.2% · 1,183
- Two or more races4.0% · 308
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 293
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilhite
Wilhite 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
#4,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,325
+528 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#4,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,794
-531 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,213 | 7,797 | 2.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,261 | 8,325 | 2.82 | +528 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #4,411 | 7,794 | 2.61 | -531 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 150 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 Wilhite 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 | #4,261 | #4,411 | -3.5% |
| Count | 8,325 | 7,794 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.61 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilhite bearers went from 8,325 to 7,794 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,261 to #4,411.
FAQ
Wilhite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilhite?
Name Census estimates that about 8,938 living Americans carry the surname Wilhite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,348 residents.
How common is Wilhite?
Wilhite ranks #4,411 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,794 people with the surname Wilhite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,938), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wilhite.
Has Wilhite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilhite went from 8,325 recorded bearers to 7,794. That is a decrease of 531 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,261 to #4,411.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilhite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhite, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wilhite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.2% (5,940 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilhite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.2%), Black (15.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wilhite (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 Wilhite mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "white hill" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Wilhite (2.61 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 Americans have the surname Wilhite?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.