2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Willbrandt
A compound name combining the Germanic elements of "will" meaning desire or will, and "brand" meaning to burn or torch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Willbrandt. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willbrandt 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Willbrandt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willbrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willbrandt
The surname Willbrandt has its origins in Germany, where it emerged in the medieval period. It is a compound name derived from the Old High German elements "wil," meaning "will" or "desire," and "brand," meaning "sword" or "fire." This combination suggests the name was originally a given name implying a strong-willed or forceful person, potentially a warrior-like figure. The name was most common in northern Germany, particularly in areas such as Lower Saxony and Westphalia.
Historical references to the surname Willbrandt can be found in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest mentions is in a 13th-century document referring to a Heinrich Willbrandt, a minor nobleman from Westphalia. His presence in these records indicates that the family held some social status during that period. The surname also appears in church records from the late 14th century in the city of Hamburg, pointing to its spread in the region.
One notable individual with this surname was Johann Willbrandt, born in 1620 and a prominent merchant in Hamburg. His business dealings and philanthropy were well-documented in local annals, marking him as a significant figure in the city's history. Another is Friedrich Willbrandt, born in 1765, who was a noted Lutheran theologian and published several theological treatises in the late 18th century.
The surname underwent various spellings over time, which is common in surnames deriving from older languages. In some medieval documents, it appears as Willbrand or Wilbrant, reflecting the fluid nature of orthography prior to the modern era. A notable variant is found in the 15th-century records of the Hanseatic League, referring to a merchant named Wilhelm Wilbrandt. This variant underscores the name's association with trade and commerce in northern Europe.
The surname also appears in the context of land records, notably in a 17th-century deed from Bremen, documenting the property transactions of a landholder named Martin Willbrandt. Such records highlight the family's involvement in landownership and agriculture, common for surnames of German origin during this period.
In the 19th century, the surname is carried by Gustav Willbrandt, born in 1838, a prominent writer and dramatist whose works contributed significantly to German literature. His play "The Exile" garnered critical acclaim and underlined the cultural influence of individuals bearing this surname.
Through its history, the surname Willbrandt has been borne by various individuals contributing to religious, commercial, and cultural domains in Germany. It encapsulates a rich linguistic heritage, rooted in the ancient terms denoting will and weaponry, illustrating the name's deep historical and semantic significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willbrandt
Among Census respondents with the surname Willbrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Willbrandt 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 Willbrandt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 93
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willbrandt
Willbrandt 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+17 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,398 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-14 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,756 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 7,398 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 13,756 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 Willbrandt 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 | #136,449 | #150,205 | -10.1% |
| Count | 123 | 109 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willbrandt bearers went from 123 to 109 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 13,756 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #150,205.
FAQ
Willbrandt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willbrandt?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Willbrandt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Willbrandt?
Willbrandt ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Willbrandt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Willbrandt.
Has Willbrandt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willbrandt went from 123 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Willbrandt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willbrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Willbrandt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willbrandt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Willbrandt (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 Willbrandt mean?
A compound name combining the Germanic elements of "will" meaning desire or will, and "brand" meaning to burn or torch. 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 Willbrandt (0.04 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 common is the surname Willbrandt?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Willbrandt at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.