2000
#8,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,510
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Wille
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone who lived near a willow tree or willow grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,830 Americans carry the last name Wille. That puts it at #9,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,492 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wille 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 Wille with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,492
Census rank
#9,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,340 bearers of the surname Wille in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wille, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wille
The surname WILLE originated in Germany, arising in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "will" meaning "desire" or "willpower". The name likely referred to someone who was strong-willed or determined in character.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various German records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a mention of a Wilhelm Wille in a manuscript from the city of Cologne, dated around 1275.
The name WILLE was also found in some variation of spelling, such as Wil, Wyl, or Wylle, in various regions of Germany during this time period. It is possible that the name was influenced by or connected to certain place names, such as the town of Wil in Switzerland, which shares a similar root.
As the name spread across Europe, it appeared in records in other countries as well. For instance, there is a reference to a John Wille in the English county of Norfolk in the 16th century.
Notable individuals throughout history with the surname WILLE include:
1. Johann Georg Wille (1715-1808), a German engraver and painter who was renowned for his work during the Rococo period.
2. Tobias Wille (1699-1767), a German mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of calculus.
3. Elise Wille (1872-1939), a Norwegian writer and feminist who campaigned for women's rights and authored several novels.
4. Wilhelm Wille (1877-1937), a German painter and graphic artist known for his Expressionist works.
5. Friedrich Wille (1909-1993), a German politician and member of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany.
The surname WILLE has endured over centuries and can be found among various communities and nations, reflecting its German origins and the migration patterns of those who bore this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wille
Among Census respondents with the surname Wille, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wille 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 Wille surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 3,126
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 89
- Two or more races2.5% · 83
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wille
Wille 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
#8,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,734
+224 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,340
-394 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 570 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,626 | 3,510 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,780 | 3,734 | 1.27 | +224 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #9,350 | 3,340 | 1.12 | -394 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 570 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 Wille 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 | #8,780 | #9,350 | -6.5% |
| Count | 3,734 | 3,340 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.12 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wille bearers went from 3,734 to 3,340 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 570 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,780 to #9,350.
FAQ
Wille surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wille?
Name Census estimates that about 3,830 living Americans carry the surname Wille. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,492 residents.
How common is Wille?
Wille ranks #9,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,340 people with the surname Wille. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Wille.
Has Wille become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wille went from 3,734 recorded bearers to 3,340. That is a decrease of 394 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,780 to #9,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Wille?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wille, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wille in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (3,126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wille appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wille (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 Wille mean?
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone who lived near a willow tree or willow grove. 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 Wille (1.12 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 Wille?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Wille at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.