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

Willow, 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 Willow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Willow in America

Willow is the 28998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Willow surname appeared 819 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 Willow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Willow 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 Willow

The surname Willow is thought to have its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "welig," which means willow (the tree). The name likely referred to someone who lived near a willow tree or grove of willow trees, a common practice in surname creation during that period.

One of the earliest historical references to the name Willow can be found in medieval records. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the term "welig" is found, indicating the presence of willow trees, though it does not directly pertain to the surname. The use of the surname Willow appears in parish registers and other records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a record of a John de Wyllowe (John of Willow) appears in a 1296 Sussex subsidy roll.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname began to spread in various parts of England. It was during this period that variations of the name, such as Willowe, began to appear in historical documents. One notable individual was Thomas Willow, born in 1530 in Yorkshire, who was documented as a landowner and made several contributions to local governance.

The 17th century saw the surnames becoming more stable in their spelling. By this time, the name Willow had become more commonly established in the southeastern and southwestern counties of England. James Willow, born in 1625 in Cornwall, was a notable figure known for his work in agriculture and the improvement of local farming techniques.

In the 18th century, the name Willow continued to appear in records, often associated with prominent members of rural communities. Elizabeth Willow, born in 1704 in Devon, became one of the earliest recorded women to take up the profession of midwifery, documented in the records of the time for her extensive work in helping women in childbirth.

By the 19th century, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the Willow surname had spread to urban areas, signaling the migration of families in search of work. One distinguished person from this era is Robert Willow, born in 1790, a noted engineer who contributed significantly to early railroad construction in Southern England.

Overall, the surname Willow stands as a testament to England's rich linguistic and natural history. Its evolution from a simple descriptor of a tree into a widespread family name embodies the connection between the people and their environment over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Willow

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

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

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

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