2000
#52,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 368
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Willrich
A Germanic surname derived from the given names William and Richard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 460 Americans carry the last name Willrich. That puts it at #55,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 745,118 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willrich 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.
Bearers in the US
460
1 in 745,118
Census rank
#55,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
401
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 401 bearers of the surname Willrich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willrich
The surname Willrich has its origins in Germany and is likely derived from Old High German elements. The name is believed to be a compound of "Willi," a common short form of the given name Wilhelm (meaning "will" or "desire") and "Ric," meaning "ruler" or "powerful." This suggests that the original meaning of Willrich could be interpreted as "powerful will" or "desire to rule."
The earliest documented instances of the name date back to medieval times, appearing in various regions of Germany. In the late 12th century, a record from Saxony mentions a Heinrich Willrich, who is noted as a local landowner. This illustrates that the name was well-established by the High Middle Ages. Manuscripts from the 13th century in Bavaria also reference individuals bearing the Willrich surname, indicating the name's spread across German-speaking territories.
In 1335, a legal document from the city of Nuremberg lists a merchant named Johann Willrich, marking one of the earliest recorded examples of the name in urban settings. This highlights the integration of the surname into various strata of medieval German society.
During the Reformation, records from the 16th century show that a theologian named Matthias Willrich was active in the region of Thuringia. Born in 1509 and deceased in 1578, Matthias Willrich was known for his reformist ideas and writings, contributing to the religious transformations of the time.
An historical reference to the surname appears in the chronicles of the Thirty Years' War, where a soldier named Dietrich Willrich is mentioned in 1625. His involvement in the conflict signifies the presence of the Willrich family in significant historical events. Dietrich's activities are documented in military orders and correspondences from various German states.
Friedrich Willrich, born in 1776, emerged as a notable figure in early modern Germany. Renowned for his work as a cartographer, Friedrich's maps are still studied for their accuracy and detail. His contributions to the field of geography were widely recognized, earning him a place in academic circles of the time.
By the 19th century, the surname had made its way beyond German borders. One prominent individual, Otto Willrich, born in 1828, became known for his work as an industrial engineer in the burgeoning automotive industry in Stuttgart. Otto's innovations and designs significantly impacted early automotive development.
The surname Willrich thus has a rich history marked by its Germanic roots, spread across regions, and appearances in historical documents. From medieval landowners and merchants to theologians and engineers, the Willrich name has been associated with a variety of influential figures throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willrich
Among Census respondents with the surname Willrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Willrich 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 Willrich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.4% · 190
- Black or African American36.9% · 148
- Two or more races8.2% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willrich
Willrich 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
#49,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
+58 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 3,462 places
2020
#55,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 401
-25 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 5,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,827 | 368 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,365 | 426 | 0.14 | +58 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 3,462 places |
| 2020 | #55,282 | 401 | 0.13 | -25 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 5,917 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 Willrich 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 | #49,365 | #55,282 | -12.0% |
| Count | 426 | 401 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.13 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willrich bearers went from 426 to 401 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 5,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,365 to #55,282.
FAQ
Willrich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willrich?
Name Census estimates that about 460 living Americans carry the surname Willrich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 745,118 residents.
How common is Willrich?
Willrich ranks #55,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 401 people with the surname Willrich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (460), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Willrich.
Has Willrich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willrich went from 426 recorded bearers to 401. That is a decrease of 25 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,365 to #55,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Willrich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Willrich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.4% (190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willrich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.4%), Black (36.9%), Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Willrich (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 Willrich mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the given names William and Richard. 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 Willrich (0.13 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 Americans have the surname Willrich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.