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

Williams, 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 Williams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Williams in America

Williams is the 3rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Williams surname appeared 1,625,252 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 551 people would have the surname Williams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Williams 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 Williams

The surname Williams is of English and Welsh origin, derived from the given name William. The name William itself is derived from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will or desire" and "helm" meaning "helmet or protection." It was introduced to Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In England, the surname Williams emerged as an Anglo-Norman patronymic name, meaning "son of William." It was one of the earliest surnames to be adopted in England, appearing in records as early as the late 11th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Willelmus filius Willelmi (William, son of William), who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086.

In Wales, the name Williams is a patronymic surname derived from the Welsh form of William, which is "Gwilym." The Welsh patronymic naming system added the prefix "ap" (meaning "son of") or the suffix "-s" to a father's name to create a surname. The surname appeared in various spellings, such as ap Gwilym, Gwilym, and Gwilliams, before standardizing as Williams.

Notable historical figures with the surname Williams include:

1. Roger Williams (1603-1683), the founder of Rhode Island and a prominent advocate for religious freedom in colonial America.
2. William Williams (1717-1791), a Welsh hymn writer and author known as the "Watts of Wales."
3. Betsy Williams (1787-1873), a British businesswoman and the founder of the Royal Biscuit Company, later known as Huntley & Palmers.
4. George Williams (1821-1905), the founder of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).
5. Hank Williams (1923-1953), an influential American singer-songwriter and one of the pioneers of contemporary country music.

The surname Williams has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages in both England and Wales. Its widespread use and prominence in various historical records and notable figures reflect its enduring legacy as a common and respected surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Williams

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

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

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

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