2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Willeman
A surname derived from the Dutch words "wil" (desire) and "man" (man), referring to a desired man or someone of noble character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Willeman. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willeman 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Willeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willeman
The surname Willeman has its origins in Europe, specifically from the regions that now encompass parts of France and Belgium. The name is believed to have first appeared during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old Germanic given name Wilhelm, which itself is composed of the elements "wil," meaning will or desire, and "helm," meaning helmet or protection. Over time, variations of the name such as Willemann, Wileman, and Willman emerged.
Historical references to the surname Willeman can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and records. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Languedoc region of France around the 14th century. The name was associated with landowners and military personnel, reflecting its Germanic roots tied to protection and leadership. The variations in spelling can be attributed to the phonetic transcription of names during this time, influenced by local dialects and languages.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Willeman is found in a 1377 census in the French region of Burgundy, where a Jean Willeman is listed as a property owner. In the 15th century, records from the city of Ghent, Belgium, mention Guillaume Willeman, a merchant known for his trade in textiles. These entries highlight the name's association with both landed gentry and burgeoning mercantile classes during the late medieval period.
The surname saw various iterations in historical documents. In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Pierre Willeman, born in 1502 and a known tradesman in Paris. His name appears in various guild records, marking him as an established figure in the trading community. Additionally, in the 17th century, the name appears in military records with Jacques Willeman, born in 1634, who is documented as a soldier in the French army during the reign of Louis XIV.
By the 18th century, the Willeman surname had spread to different parts of Europe. In 1712, Nicolas Willeman, a notable diplomat from the region now known as Wallonia in Belgium, is recorded in various correspondences with French officials. The spread of the name across Europe signifies the migration and legacy of families bearing the name, often involved in trade, military, and diplomatic services.
Among the notable figures with the surname Willeman is the 19th-century artist Gustave Willeman, born in 1845, known for his contributions to the realist movement in French painting. His works are still studied for their detailed representation of rural life. Another figure is Edgar Willeman, born in 1881, a Belgian politician who played a significant role in the early 20th-century labor movement.
The surname Willeman, thus, encapsulates a rich history of military, mercantile, and artistic achievements. It has endured through centuries, evolving in spelling and region but consistently representing a lineage tied to strength, will, and a legacy of notable contributions to society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Willeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Willeman 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 Willeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willeman
Willeman 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+25 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,041 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-39 bearers (-28.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,886 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +25 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 12,041 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -39 bearers (-28.1%) | Down 31,886 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 Willeman 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 | #123,796 | #155,682 | -25.8% |
| Count | 139 | 100 | -28.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -33.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willeman bearers went from 139 to 100 (-28.1% change). The surname moved down 31,886 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #155,682.
FAQ
Willeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willeman?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Willeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Willeman?
Willeman ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Willeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Willeman.
Has Willeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willeman went from 139 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 39 (-28.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Willeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Willeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Willeman (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 Willeman mean?
A surname derived from the Dutch words "wil" (desire) and "man" (man), referring to a desired man or someone of noble character. 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 Willeman (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 last name Willeman?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Willeman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.