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

Willett, 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 Willett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willett in America

Willett is the 2761st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willett surname appeared 13,065 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Willett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willett 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 Willett

The surname Willett originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English given name Wigelm, which is a compound of the elements "wig" meaning war or battle, and "helm" meaning helmet or protection. This name was later shortened to William and the diminutive form Will, from which Willett is derived as a patronymic surname.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Willett is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as Wylet. Other early spellings include Wyllet, Wyllytt, and Wylliet. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Wigelm.

In the 14th century, the surname Willett can be found in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where one John Wyllet is mentioned. Another early record is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1381, which lists a Richard Wyllet.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Willett was Sir Thomas Willett (c. 1545-1598), an English politician and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure with the surname Willett was Captain Thomas Willett (1605-1674), an English colonist in Plymouth Colony. He served as the Captain of the Military Company in Plymouth and was involved in the negotiations with the Native Americans, including the Wampanoag leader Massasoit.

In the 17th century, the Willett family was prominent in the area of Maidstone, Kent. One member, John Willett (1614-1693), was a Puritan clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

A place name associated with the surname Willett is Willett's Farm, a hamlet in Gloucestershire, which derives its name from a family that once owned land in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Willett include Andrew Willett (1562-1621), an English clergyman and theologian, and Henry Willett (1823-1905), an English furniture maker and designer who helped establish the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willett

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

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 Willett 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 Willett 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 Willett was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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