2000
#9,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,056
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Willison
Son of William, an English patronymic surname derived from the popular medieval given name William.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,148 Americans carry the last name Willison. That puts it at #11,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,880 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willison 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Willison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 108,880
Census rank
#11,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,745 bearers of the surname Willison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willison
The surname Willison originates from Scotland and England, where it emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the ancient personal name William, which itself comes from the Germanic elements "wil," meaning will or desire, and "helm," meaning protection or helmet. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname was Willieson in Scotland in the year 1296.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Willison, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived from 1680 to 1750. He is best known for his influential book "The Afflicted Man's Companion," published in 1742, which provided spiritual guidance for those suffering from illness or affliction.
Another notable Willison was Samuel Willison, a Scottish merchant and ship owner who lived from 1753 to 1828. He was involved in the early trade between Scotland and the West Indies, and his success in business allowed him to purchase the estate of Willison House in Fife, Scotland.
In England, the surname Willison can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing a John Willison in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. The name was particularly concentrated in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland, where it may have originated as a variant of the more common surname Wilson.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name in England was Sir Thomas Willison, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived from 1555 to 1619. He served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and was knighted by King James I in 1603.
Another notable Willison was Robert Willison, an English botanist and horticulturist who lived from 1696 to 1761. He is best known for his work on the botany of the West Indies, where he traveled extensively and collected many plant specimens.
While the surname Willison is not as common as some other surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the ancient personal name William, which has been a popular name throughout much of European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willison
Among Census respondents with the surname Willison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Willison 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 Willison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 2,392
- Black or African American4.9% · 134
- Two or more races3.5% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willison
Willison 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
#10,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
+143 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 314 places
2020
#11,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,745
-454 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 979 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,761 | 3,056 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,075 | 3,199 | 1.08 | +143 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 314 places |
| 2020 | #11,054 | 2,745 | 0.92 | -454 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 979 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 Willison 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 | #10,075 | #11,054 | -9.7% |
| Count | 3,199 | 2,745 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.92 | -15.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willison bearers went from 3,199 to 2,745 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 979 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,075 to #11,054.
FAQ
Willison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willison?
Name Census estimates that about 3,148 living Americans carry the surname Willison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,880 residents.
How common is Willison?
Willison ranks #11,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,745 people with the surname Willison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Willison.
Has Willison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willison went from 3,199 recorded bearers to 2,745. That is a decrease of 454 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,075 to #11,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Willison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Willison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (2,392 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Black (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Willison (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 Willison mean?
Son of William, an English patronymic surname derived from the popular medieval given name William. 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 Willison (0.92 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 people have the last name Willison?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Willison is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.