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

Willette, 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 Willette surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willette in America

Willette is the 8589th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willette surname appeared 3,835 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 Willette.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willette 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 Willette

The surname WILLETTE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a variant spelling of the surname Willett, which itself is a diminutive form of the medieval English given name William. The name William derives from the Germanic name Willahelm, composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection".

The earliest recorded instances of the WILLETTE surname can be traced back to the 13th century in county records and tax rolls from various regions of England. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John Willette, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the WILLETTE surname appeared in various parish records and court documents across England. Notably, a Thomas Willette was mentioned in the Hertfordshire Visitation of 1572, indicating that members of this family had achieved a certain degree of social standing by that time.

In the 18th century, the WILLETTE surname was found in various parts of England, including London and the surrounding counties. One notable bearer was Sir Richard Willette (1690-1766), a prominent merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1741.

As the British Empire expanded during the 19th century, many WILLETTE families emigrated to various colonies and territories around the world. One such individual was John Willette (1815-1892), a British explorer and naturalist who documented numerous plant and animal species during his travels in Australia and New Zealand.

Other notable individuals with the WILLETTE surname include:

1. William Willette (1857-1926), a French caricaturist and illustrator known for his political satires.
2. Gustave Willette (1859-1925), a French painter and printmaker associated with the Impressionist movement.
3. Adolphe Willette (1857-1926), a French painter and lithographer known for his Art Nouveau posters.
4. Léon Willette (1886-1965), a French actor and film director active in the early 20th century.
5. Marie-Claude Willette (1926-2008), a French novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of identity and social justice.

While the WILLETTE surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries today, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willette

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

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

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

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