2000
#12,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,235
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Wilhoit
Derived from a place name meaning "willow wood" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near willows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,386 Americans carry the last name Wilhoit. That puts it at #13,889 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilhoit 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
2.4K
1 in 143,652
Census rank
#13,889
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,081 bearers of the surname Wilhoit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13889th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoit, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilhoit
The surname Wilhoit is of German origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, where it was initially spelled as "Willhoit" or "Wilheit."
The name Wilhoit is derived from the Old German words "willi" and "heit," which translate to "will" and "bright" or "shining," respectively. This combination suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon an individual with a strong-willed and radiant personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilhoit can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. In this manuscript, a certain "Willehalmus de Wilheit" is mentioned in relation to land ownership records.
During the 16th century, the name Wilhoit appeared in the town records of Nürnberg, a city in the Bavarian region of Germany. Notable individuals from this era include Hans Wilhoit (1524-1598), a respected artisan and craftsman, and Katharina Wilhoit (1546-1612), a prominent figure in the local textile trade.
As the Wilhoit family spread across Europe, variations of the name began to emerge. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name was sometimes spelled as "Wilhoite" or "Wilhouten," while in France, it took the form of "Guilhot" or "Guilhaut."
One of the earliest documented instances of the Wilhoit name in North America dates back to the late 18th century, when Johann Wilhoit (1756-1832), a German immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania. His descendants later migrated westward, establishing roots in states like Kentucky and Indiana.
Another notable figure in the Wilhoit family history is William Wilhoit (1819-1892), a farmer and politician from Kentucky who served as a member of the state legislature in the mid-19th century.
Throughout the centuries, the Wilhoit name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, farmers, and politicians. While the exact origins and early history of the name may remain somewhat shrouded in mystery, its enduring presence across generations and geographical regions serves as a testament to its significance and resilience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilhoit
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoit, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilhoit 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 Wilhoit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,906
- Two or more races3.0% · 63
- Black or African American3.0% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilhoit
Wilhoit 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
#13,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,293
+58 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 608 places
2020
#13,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,081
-212 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,692 | 2,235 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,300 | 2,293 | 0.78 | +58 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 608 places |
| 2020 | #13,889 | 2,081 | 0.70 | -212 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 589 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 Wilhoit 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 | #13,300 | #13,889 | -4.4% |
| Count | 2,293 | 2,081 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.70 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilhoit bearers went from 2,293 to 2,081 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 589 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,300 to #13,889.
FAQ
Wilhoit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilhoit?
Name Census estimates that about 2,386 living Americans carry the surname Wilhoit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,652 residents.
How common is Wilhoit?
Wilhoit ranks #13,889 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,081 people with the surname Wilhoit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,386), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wilhoit.
Has Wilhoit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilhoit went from 2,293 recorded bearers to 2,081. That is a decrease of 212 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,300 to #13,889.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilhoit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoit, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Wilhoit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,906 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilhoit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Black (3.0%). 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 Wilhoit (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 Wilhoit mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "willow wood" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near willows. 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 Wilhoit (0.70 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 Wilhoit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.