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 78316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Williams surname appeared 244 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Williams.

The history of the last name Williams

The surname Willilams is of English origin, with roots reaching back to the medieval period. The name originated from the regions of Southern England, including areas such as Somerset and Devon. It is believed that the surname was derived from a patronymic form of the given name William, which itself came from the Old Norman-French name Willaume, brought to England by the Normans in 1066. The name William is of Germanic origin, composed of the elements "wil," meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm," meaning "helmet" or "protection."

Historical references to the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where individuals bearing similar names were recorded. However, the specific spelling of Willilams is not found in the Domesday Book. Variants of the name, such as Williams, have been recorded in various documents and manuscripts throughout history.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name or its variants includes Robertus William, listed in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273. Although the surname Willilams is less common, it appears that it may have evolved as a regional or dialectal variation of Williams over time.

A notable historical figure with the surname Williams was Roger Williams (1603-1683), an English theologian and founder of the colony of Rhode Island in the United States. Although he did not bear the exact spelling of Willilams, his notable contributions to history and the spread of the surname in America are relevant.

Another individual, Rowland Williams, a Welsh Anglican priest and theologian born in 1817 and passing in 1870, made significant contributions to religious scholarship in the 19th century. His works and influence in religious debates underline the prominence of the surname.

In the realm of science, another bearer of a similar surname was Sir William Empson (1906-1984), an influential English literary critic and poet whose contributions to literary theory and criticism were substantial during the 20th century.

From the arts, Hank Williams (1923-1953), the legendary American singer-songwriter, had a tremendous impact on country music. His music continues to influence artists across genres to this day, evidencing the cultural reach of the surname.

Lastly, the political sphere saw William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), an American poet closely associated with modernist and imagist movements, who also worked as a pediatrician and general practitioner. His literary works have left an enduring mark on American poetry.

The surname Willilams, although a less common variant, shares historical roots and significance with its more widely recognized form, Williams, with bearers making notable contributions across various fields throughout history.

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.

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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