2000
#30,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 734
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Willinger
A surname of German origin denoting someone from the town of Willingen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 759 Americans carry the last name Willinger. That puts it at #36,396 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 451,587 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willinger 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
759
1 in 451,587
Census rank
#36,396
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
662
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 662 bearers of the surname Willinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36396th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willinger
The surname Willinger has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly within Germany and Austria. The name has connections to the Middle Ages, a period during which surnames began to become hereditary. The surname likely derives from the old Germanic name Wilhelm, a compound of "wil" meaning will or desire and "helm" meaning helmet or protection, combined with the suffix "inger," which could indicate a relationship to a place or profession, or serving as a patronymic.
The Willinger name appears in historical records dating back several centuries. In German records from the 14th and 15th centuries, we find references to similar surnames such as Williger or Wullinger. The geographical distribution of these early records points to regions such as Bavaria and Swabia in Germany, as well as regions in Austria close to the Alps. Old German manuscripts and church records from these areas often list individuals with similar names, showcasing how the surname maintained slight variations in spelling over centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be traced to a 1385 document from the city of Augsburg where a Heinrich Willinger is listed as a landowner. Another historical reference includes Martin Willinger, a resident of Vienna in the early 16th century, who appears in municipal records from 1523. The records from various city councils and parish registers suggest that the Willingers were often landowners, tradespeople, and sometimes members of the local nobility.
In the 17th century, the surname can be found in military records of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), with a Johann Willinger listed as a soldier in a Bavarian regiment. Johann Willinger, born in 1599, survived the war and later became a prominent figure in his community, contributing to the rebuilding efforts after the widespread destruction caused by the conflict.
By the 18th century, several notable individuals bore the surname Willinger. For instance, Christoph Willinger, a respected merchant born in 1734, who rose to prominence in trade between German principalities. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts, funding local schools and hospitals.
Another significant historical figure was Friedrich Willinger, an academic born in 1802, who made contributions to the study of natural sciences and held a professorship at the University of Heidelberg. His research in the early 19th century is still referenced in various scientific literature today.
The surname Willinger, with its rich history and Germanic roots, remains a testament to the diverse roles and contributions of its bearers through centuries. Its presence in various regions of Germany and Austria, as well as in historical documents and records, showcases the evolving nature of surnames and their deep societal connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Willinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Willinger 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 Willinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 610
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 18
- Two or more races2.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willinger
Willinger 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
#40,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 545
-189 bearers (-25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 10,084 places
2020
#36,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 662
+117 bearers (+21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 3,808 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,120 | 734 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,204 | 545 | 0.18 | -189 bearers (-25.7%) | Down 10,084 places |
| 2020 | #36,396 | 662 | 0.22 | +117 bearers (+21.5%) | Up 3,808 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 Willinger 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 | #40,204 | #36,396 | 9.5% |
| Count | 545 | 662 | 21.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.22 | 23.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willinger bearers went from 545 to 662 (+21.5% change). The surname moved up 3,808 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,204 to #36,396.
FAQ
Willinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willinger?
Name Census estimates that about 759 living Americans carry the surname Willinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 451,587 residents.
How common is Willinger?
Willinger ranks #36,396 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 662 people with the surname Willinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (759), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Willinger.
Has Willinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willinger went from 545 recorded bearers to 662. That is an increase of 117 (+21.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,204 to #36,396.
What does the Census say about the background of Willinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Willinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Willinger (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 Willinger mean?
A surname of German origin denoting someone from the town of Willingen. 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 Willinger (0.22 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 common is the surname Willinger?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Willinger, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.