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

Willis, 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 Willis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willis in America

Willis is the 230th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willis surname appeared 130,152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 44 people would have the surname Willis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willis 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 Willis

The surname Willis has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English personal name "Will," a diminutive form of the name William, which means "resolute protector." The suffix "-is" was added to indicate "son of," forming the patronymic surname Willis, meaning "son of Will."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Willis can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which mentions a Nicholas Wyllis. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Wylis is listed. These early spellings, such as "Wyllis" and "Wylis," demonstrate the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The Willis surname is closely linked to various place names in England, particularly in counties like Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. For example, the village of Willis in Buckinghamshire likely derived its name from the Willis family, who were once prominent landowners in the area.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Willis throughout history are:

1. Thomas Willis (1621-1675), an English physician and anatomist known for his pioneering work in neurology and the study of the brain.

2. Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867), an American author, poet, and editor who co-founded the New York Mirror literary journal.

3. Connie Willis (born 1945), an American science fiction writer and multiple Hugo and Nebula award winner, best known for works like "Doomsday Book" and "To Say Nothing of the Dog."

4. Gaye Willis (1911-1972), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives.

5. Bruce Willis (born 1955), the renowned American actor known for his roles in films such as "Die Hard," "Pulp Fiction," and "The Sixth Sense."

Throughout the centuries, the Willis surname has been well-established in various regions of England, particularly in the southern and central counties. It has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become a recognizable surname in countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willis

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!