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

Willoughby, 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 Willoughby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willoughby in America

Willoughby is the 2257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willoughby surname appeared 16,111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Willoughby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willoughby 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 Willoughby

The surname Willoughby originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wilga," meaning willow, and "by," meaning a farm or settlement, thus referring to a farmstead near willow trees. The name is believed to have originated in Lincolnshire, where several villages bear the name Willoughby.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Willoughby is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Wilugebi." This ancient record indicates that the name was well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, Walter de Willoughby was a prominent Norman nobleman who held lands in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. His descendants would become the Lords Willoughby, a titled family that played a significant role in English history for several centuries.

Sir Richard Willoughby (c. 1385-1411) was a celebrated English soldier who fought in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted by King Henry V for his bravery on the battlefield.

Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby de Eresby (1555-1601), was a courtier and military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was renowned for his exploits in the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War.

Francis Willughby (1635-1672) was a renowned English naturalist and one of the founders of the study of ornithology. His work "Ornithologiae Libri Tres" (Three Books on Birds) was a pioneering work in the field of bird study.

William Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Parham (1776-1865), was a British peer and Member of Parliament who was known for his support of the abolition of the slave trade and his philanthropic endeavors.

Throughout its history, the surname Willoughby has been associated with various place names in England, such as Willoughby on the Wolds, Willoughby Waterless, and Willoughby in the Marsh, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willoughby

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

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

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

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