2000
#2,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.88
Uncommon Last name
Will
An occupational surname referring to someone with strong determination or willpower, or a variant of William.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,803 Americans carry the last name Will. That puts it at #2,918 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,832 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Will 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 Will with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,832
Census rank
#2,918
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,037 bearers of the surname Will in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2918th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Will, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Will
The surname WILL is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "willa" meaning "will" or "desire." It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
In its earliest form, WILL was likely used as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were known for their strong-willed or determined nature. It may have also been bestowed upon those who displayed a particular skill or talent, reflecting their "will" or ability to accomplish tasks.
The surname WILL can be traced back to various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where it was most prevalent in its early history. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname WILL is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Willelmus le Wille is mentioned. This spelling variation, "le Wille," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname WILL. One prominent example is William Will (1556-1598), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Sabbath. Another is John Will (1671-1725), a Scottish theologian and philosopher who served as the Principal of the University of St. Andrews.
In the realm of literature, Dorothy Will (1895-1980) was an American author and playwright known for her works on Native American themes. In the world of sports, Bobby Will (1939-2016) was a professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers in the 1960s.
The name WILL has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Willingham in Cambridgeshire and Willoughby in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the surname's development and regional distribution.
While the surname WILL has evolved over centuries and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "willa," reflecting the strong-willed and determined nature of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Will
Among Census respondents with the surname Will, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Will 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 Will surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 10,602
- Black or African American4.8% · 576
- Two or more races3.1% · 376
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 353
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Will
Will 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
#2,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,575
-602 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 4.26
Rank movement Down 355 places
2020
#2,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,037
-538 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,514 | 13,177 | 4.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,869 | 12,575 | 4.26 | -602 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 355 places |
| 2020 | #2,918 | 12,037 | 4.03 | -538 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 49 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 Will 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 | #2,869 | #2,918 | -1.7% |
| Count | 12,575 | 12,037 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.26 | 4.03 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Will bearers went from 12,575 to 12,037 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,869 to #2,918.
FAQ
Will surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Will?
Name Census estimates that about 13,803 living Americans carry the surname Will. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,832 residents.
How common is Will?
Will ranks #2,918 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,037 people with the surname Will. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,803), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Will.
Has Will become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Will went from 12,575 recorded bearers to 12,037. That is a decrease of 538 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,869 to #2,918.
What does the Census say about the background of Will?
Among Census respondents with the surname Will, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Will in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (10,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Will appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (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 Will (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 Will mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone with strong determination or willpower, or a variant of William. 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 Will (4.03 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 share the surname Will?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.