Willmann last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Willmann

An occupational surname derived from the German word "will" meaning "desire" and "mann" meaning "man", likely referring to a willful or determined person.

Willmann, 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 Willmann surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willmann in America

Willmann is the 28293rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willmann surname appeared 845 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 Willmann.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willmann 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 28293 30682 -8.10%
Count 845 717 16.39%
Proportion per 100k 0.29 0.27 7.14%

The history of the last name Willmann

The surname Willmann originates from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is common in German-speaking regions, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and the Rhineland. It is derived from the old German personal name Wilhelm, which itself comes from the Old High German words "wil," meaning will or desire, and "helm," meaning helmet or protection.

In historical records, the surname appears in various forms, including Wilman, Willman, and Willmann. These variations reflect the phonetic spelling practices of the time and regional dialects. An early reference to the name can be found in medieval manuscripts, such as a document dated 1385 from Baden-Württemberg, which mentions a Heinrich Willman as a landowner.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is from the year 1472, involving Hans Willmann, a notable citizen of Nuremberg, a significant city during the Holy Roman Empire. His contributions to the city's trade and commerce were well documented, establishing the Willmann name as a respectable one during that period.

The name continued to appear in historical records over the centuries. In the 16th century, Jacob Willmann, born in 1520 in Cologne, became well known as a scholar and author. His works on Renaissance humanism were influential, and he was regarded as an intellectual figure of his time. Another significant individual was Johann Willmann, born in 1643, who gained fame as an acclaimed painter in the Baroque period.

In the 18th century, the Willmann surname surfaced in Prussia, where Karl Friedrich Willmann, a distinguished military officer born in 1765, served during the Napoleonic Wars. His leadership and strategic acumen earned him recognition and several commendations.

The Willmann name also made its mark in the 19th century with figures such as Ernst Willmann, born in 1820 in Hanover. As an industrialist, he significantly contributed to the early stages of Germany's industrial revolution, facilitating advancements in manufacturing technologies.

Each of these historical figures underscores the longstanding presence and prominence of the Willmann surname across various regions and centuries, reflecting its deep roots in German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willmann

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

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 Willmann was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.62% 808
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.59% 5
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.18% 10
Hispanic Origin 2.13% 18

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 Willmann has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.62% 96.65% -1.07%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.59% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.18% 1.39% -16.34%
Hispanic 2.13% 1.67% 24.21%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Willmann last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/willmann-surname-popularity/.

"Willmann last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/willmann-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Willmann last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/willmann-surname-popularity/.

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