2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Willim
An anglicized form of the German surname "Wilhelm" meaning "resolute protector".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Willim. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willim 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Willim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willim, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willim
The surname Willim traces its origins to England, with its earliest documented instances appearing in medieval times. The name likely derived from the given name William, which itself emanates from the Old Norman French Willaume and Old High German Wilhelm, meaning "will" or "desire" combined with "helm" or "protection," thus denoting "resolute protector." Variations in spelling often occurred due to the lack of standardized spelling and literacy levels during those periods.
Early references to the Willim surname can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and parish records, though not prominently featured in major documents like the Domesday Book of 1086. One notable early mention is in a Lancashire church register from the late 14th century, where a John Willim is listed as a landowner. This indicates that the family may have been established and held social standing in northern England.
The name spread slowly over the centuries, appearing in different parts of England with slight variations in spelling such as Wyllim, Wylliams, or Wyllyam. In the 16th century, Robert Willim, born in 1534, is recorded as a prominent merchant in the port town of Bristol. His trade connections would have played a role in the gradual dispersal of the name beyond its initial stronghold.
Another historical figure bearing the surname is Thomas Willim, born in 1610, who was documented as a scholar at Oxford and contributed significantly to early English botanical studies. His work was instrumental in the academe, and references to him appear in various academic correspondences of the time.
In the 18th century, a notable Willim was Captain James Willim, born in 1742, who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. His naval career is recorded in naval logs and historical military documents, illustrating the name's continued prominence in different sectors of society.
By the early 19th century, Edward Willim, born in 1802, achieved recognition as an early industrialist in the burgeoning textile industry in Manchester. Records from the Industrial Revolution frequently cite his patents and business dealings, reflecting the evolving economic landscape of England and the embedded status of the Willim family within it.
Throughout these centuries, the Willim surname retained its associations with various professions and regions within England, gradually becoming a well-established name without ever reaching heightened commonality. The surname carries with it a rich tapestry of history, illustrating the different roles its bearers have played over time in England's societal development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willim
Among Census respondents with the surname Willim, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Willim 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 Willim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willim
Willim 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-16 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,239 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-24 bearers (-18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 19,239 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-18.8%) | Down 21,384 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 Willim 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 | #132,206 | #153,590 | -16.2% |
| Count | 128 | 104 | -18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willim bearers went from 128 to 104 (-18.8% change). The surname moved down 21,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #153,590.
FAQ
Willim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willim?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Willim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Willim?
Willim ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Willim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Willim.
Has Willim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willim went from 128 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 24 (-18.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Willim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willim, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Willim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (3.8%). 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 Willim (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 Willim mean?
An anglicized form of the German surname "Wilhelm" meaning "resolute protector". 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 Willim (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Willim?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.