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

Willms, 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 Willms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willms in America

Willms is the 18184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willms surname appeared 1,530 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Willms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willms 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 Willms

The surname Willms has its origins in Germany, specifically in the region that comprises present-day North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The name is believed to have emerged as early as the 14th century. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the given name Wilhelm, which itself comes from the Germanic elements "wil," meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm," meaning "helmet" or "protection."

In the medieval period, surnames often developed as a means of distinguishing individuals who held the same first name. As such, the children of men named Wilhelm were often referred to as Willms, denoting "son of Wilhelm." The surname appears in various forms in historical documents, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. For instance, older spellings include Wilms, Willems, and Wylms.

One early documented occurrence of the surname appears in the 15th century in the city of Cologne, a major center of trade and culture in medieval Germany. During this period, a Johann Willms is noted in a municipal record dated 1472 as a prominent merchant, indicating the surname's association with the burgeoning bourgeois class of the time.

By the late 16th century, the surname had spread to other German-speaking regions. In the archives of Hanover, a Heinrich Willms, born 1598, emerges as a notable figure. He served as a councilman and contributed to local governance. His influence and presence in historical records underscore the name's growing prominence beyond its original area.

The name also appears in historical references concerning the Dutch-German border area. For example, Pieter Willems, born 1623, was a Dutch reformer in the region of Gelderland. His writings and correspondence with other Protestant reformers highlight the surname’s cross-border presence during the era of religious transformations in Europe.

Another significant individual bearing the surname was Anna Willms, born 1711 in Bremen. She is known for her philanthropy and support of local arts. Her contributions were significant in the reconstruction efforts following a series of conflicts that affected the region in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, with the advent of industrialization and the subsequent migration patterns, the surname Willms traveled further abroad. One notable figure from this period is Friedrich Willms, born 1825 in Hamburg, who eventually emigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the midwestern German-American community.

Throughout history, the surname Willms has been borne by individuals who played notable roles in their respective communities, contributing to commerce, governance, religious reform, and philanthropy. Its etymological roots, regional variations, and historical prominence paint a rich and diverse picture of the name's legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willms

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

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

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

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