2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Willfong
An occupational name for a maker of baskets or willow weavers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Willfong. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willfong 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Willfong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willfong, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willfong
The surname Willfong can be traced back to its origins in medieval Germany, where it emerged as a derivative of traditional Germanic names. The surname likely evolved from the Middle High German word "wil" meaning "will" or "desire" and "fong" or "vang" meaning "capture" or "to receive". This suggests the name may have originally described a person who was a determined receiver or one who possessed a strong will.
The areas in which the Willfong surname was most prevalent include regions of what is now modern-day Germany, particularly within the vicinity of Thuringia and Saxony. These regions were historically dense with a noble and courageous populace, fitting the etymology that implies strength and will.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname appears in late medieval German manuscripts. A notable entry is found in the Hildebrandslied, a heroic lay from around the 8th century, though no specific Willfong is mentioned, it offers context to the culture that carried surnames with similar structures.
Around the 12th century, records reveal the appearance of a Markus Willfong, who was a landowner in Thuringia. His documentation is primarily found in property and tax records, indicating a person of some standing in society. This lends credibility to the surname's early roots in areas with structured governance, where such records would be meticulously maintained.
Another notable figure includes Heinrich Willfong, born in 1365 and noted for his role as a knight within the Duchy of Saxony. Heinrich's records appear in various military rosters and land grants awarded for his service. These documents highlight the surname's association with martial prowess and land ownership.
Moving forward to the 15th century, Wilhelm Willfong, born in 1420, was an influential merchant in the Hanseatic League, indicating the surname's spread to various regions, driven by trade and commerce. His involvement in trading guilds is well documented in the Lübeck archives, highlighting the economic rise of individuals bearing this name.
The surname also appears in American colonial records. Johan Willfong, born in 1695, emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. His name appears in ship manifests of the time, symbolizing the waves of German migration that brought the surname across the Atlantic. Johan's descendants contributed to the early European settlement fabric of the United States.
Matthias Willfong, another historical figure recorded in the American context, was born in 1750 and served in the Revolutionary War. His pension records, listing service for the Continental Army, are a testament to the integration and contributions of the Willfong surname in the new world.
Over centuries, the surname has undergone slight variations in spelling, including Wilfong and Willfange, but these remain rare and largely context-specific to regional dialects and phonetic spellings of the era. The Willfong surname, with its sturdy etymological blend of resolve and acquisition, remains an intriguing study of medieval German heritage and its transnational journey through history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willfong
Among Census respondents with the surname Willfong, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Willfong 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 Willfong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willfong
Willfong 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-19 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 28,437 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 28,437 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 7,029 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 Willfong 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 | #157,234 | #150,205 | 4.5% |
| Count | 103 | 109 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willfong bearers went from 103 to 109 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 7,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,205.
FAQ
Willfong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willfong?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Willfong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Willfong?
Willfong ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Willfong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Willfong.
Has Willfong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willfong went from 103 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Willfong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willfong, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Willfong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willfong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Willfong (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 Willfong mean?
An occupational name for a maker of baskets or willow weavers. 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 Willfong (0.04 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 surname Willfong?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.