2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Willberg
A German surname derived from Will, meaning "resolute will," and Berg, meaning "mountain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Willberg. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willberg 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Willberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willberg
The surname Willberg is believed to originate from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name appears to have been most commonly associated with the region of Bavaria. It likely derives from the Old High German words “will,” meaning desire or will, and “berg,” meaning mountain or hill. Hence, the name could be interpreted as “desire mountain” or “will hill,” which may have had an allegorical or topographical significance.
Historical references to the name Willberg can be found in various medieval manuscripts and records. One notable early instance is an appearance in a 14th-century Bavarian tax registry, where a Hans von Willberg is recorded as a taxpayer around 1350. This indicates that the surname had already been established and recognized in local governance structures by the late medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname in written form is seen in the 1325 "Codex Falkenstein," where a Wilhelm Willberg is mentioned in connection with territorial disputes. This documentation underscores the historical prominence of the name in legal and administrative matters.
Noteworthy individuals in history with the surname include Ulrich Willberg, a 16th-century merchant who was influential in trade between Bavaria and Italy. Born in 1532 and passing in 1597, Ulrich played a significant role in the development of trade routes that significantly benefited the economy of his homeland.
Another significant figure is Maria von Willberg, a nun and mystic born in 1475 and deceased in 1542. Maria wrote several religious texts that have been preserved in the archives of the Bavarian State Library. Her works provide a rare glimpse into the spiritual lives of cloistered women during this period.
Peter Willberg, a noted architect from the early 18th century, contributed to several notable buildings in Berlin. Born in 1683, Peter was involved in the construction of the Berlin State Opera in 1742, reflecting the significant architectural advancements of the time.
In the realm of science, Friedrich Willberg stands out as a pioneer in the field of botany. Born in 1798 and active until his death in 1865, Friedrich conducted extensive research on alpine plant species, leading to the publication of "Flora Alpina" in 1848, a landmark text in botanical studies.
Lastly, Johann Willberg, born in 1876 and passing in 1938, was a prominent figure in the field of classical music. As a composer and conductor, Johann contributed to the cultural fabric of Munich with numerous operas and symphonies performed throughout the early 20th century.
The surname Willberg, through its linguistic roots and historical bearers, encapsulates a rich legacy that illustrates both the personal and collective narratives of the region from which it hails.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Willberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Willberg 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 Willberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 86
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willberg
Willberg 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,487 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-11 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,487 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 6,610 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 Willberg 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 | #149,395 | #156,005 | -4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 99 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willberg bearers went from 110 to 99 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 6,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,005.
FAQ
Willberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willberg?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Willberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Willberg?
Willberg ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Willberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Willberg.
Has Willberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willberg went from 110 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Willberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Willberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Willberg (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 Willberg mean?
A German surname derived from Will, meaning "resolute will," and Berg, meaning "mountain." 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 Willberg (0.03 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 have the surname Willberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.