Find out how popular the last name Willems is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Willems.

Willems, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Willems surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willems in America

Willems is the 11597th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willems surname appeared 2,707 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Willems.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willems to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Willems

The surname Willems is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name Willem, which is the Dutch variation of the Germanic name William, meaning "resolute protector."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 14th century Buurkrijgsrollen van Gelderland, a medieval record of military service in the Duchy of Guelders. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname Willems, suggesting that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Willems name proliferated across the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North Brabant, Limburg, and Gelderland. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, as many early records document Willems families residing in towns and villages such as Eindhoven, Venlo, and Nijmegen.

One notable figure from this period was Rogier Willems (c. 1450-1523), a Dutch painter and stained glass artist renowned for his work in the Antwerp Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Servatius in Maastricht.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Willems surname spread further across the Netherlands and into neighboring regions. During this time, several prominent individuals bore the name, including Jan Willems (1670-1725), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and Jacob Willems (1734-1813), a Flemish historian and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Dutch literature and language.

Another notable figure was Christiaan Willems (1789-1848), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1840 to 1848. His tenure was marked by significant reforms and efforts to improve the welfare of the local population.

As the Dutch established colonies and trading outposts around the world, the Willems surname also found its way to various parts of the globe. In the 19th century, Emile Willems (1823-1891), a Belgian jurist and politician, played a crucial role in the drafting of the Belgian Civil Code and served as the Minister of Justice.

Throughout its history, the Willems surname has maintained a strong presence in the Netherlands and Belgium, with numerous individuals bearing the name making notable contributions in various fields, including art, literature, politics, and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willems

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Willems.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Willems was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Willems has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Willems was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Willems, please contact us.

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