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

Willey, 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 Willey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willey in America

Willey is the 2759th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willey surname appeared 13,067 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 Willey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willey 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 Willey

The surname Willey is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "wil" meaning willow and "lēah" meaning wood, clearing, or meadow. It was initially given as a topographic name to someone who lived near a willow tree or in a clearing where willows grew.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Willey appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Wilelei" in Bedfordshire. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the surname was also spelled as Wylly, Willi, and Wilie, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. These early spellings can be found in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls.

In the 16th century, the name Willey was associated with several notable individuals. One example is John Willey (c. 1519-1597), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1593 until his death.

Another prominent figure was Samuel Willey (1766-1826), an American farmer and innkeeper from New Hampshire. He and his family gained tragic fame after being killed in the Willey House Slide, a landslide that destroyed their home in the White Mountains in 1826.

In the 19th century, Sir Samuel Willey (1823-1903) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings, including the Holborn Viaduct in London.

Moving into the 20th century, Robert Willey (1908-1988) was an American politician who served as the Governor of Connecticut from 1963 to 1966.

Lastly, Malcolm Willey (1935-2020) was a renowned British actor best known for his roles in various television series, including "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Lovejoy."

The surname Willey has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Willey in Shropshire and Willey Green in Hertfordshire, further reflecting its topographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willey

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

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

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

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