2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Willuweit
An archaic German surname from a personal name meaning "will" and "mighty".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Willuweit. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willuweit 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Willuweit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willuweit, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willuweit
The surname Willuweit originates from Germany and appears to have its roots in the eastern regions of the country, particularly areas that were historically influenced by Slavic languages. The name is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th to 15th centuries, which was a time of considerable migration and settlement in these regions, contributing to the diversity of surnames.
The etymology of Willuweit suggests it may be derived from old Germanic or Slavic elements. The prefix "Willu" can be traced to the Old High German word "willio," meaning will or desire. The suffix "weit" could relate to the German word "Wald," meaning forest, or the Slavic root “vít,” meaning to win or conquer. Combined, the name could imply "one who is willful in the forest" or "victorious will."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Willuweit appears in a 16th-century municipal register in what is now modern-day Poland but was historically part of the Duchy of Pomerania. This region experienced a blend of Germanic and Slavic influences, which aligns neatly with the etymological components of the surname.
Another notable mention is found in the 17th century, where Johann Willuweit, born in 1643, appears in records of the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland). Johann was an accomplished craftsman, contributing significantly to the architectural embellishments of several renowned buildings in the region. His work was documented in guild records as early as 1680.
In the 18th century, a merchant by the name of Heinrich Willuweit was known for his extensive trade networks across the Baltic Sea. Born in 1711, Heinrich expanded his business from the city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland). His commercial activities are referenced in several shipping ledgers and business correspondences from the 1740s, highlighting his prominent role in the economic tapestry of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Friedrich Willuweit, born in 1833, who made significant contributions to agricultural development in East Prussia. Friedrich was a pioneer in implementing crop rotation methods that significantly improved yields during the late 1800s. Records of his agricultural experiments and successes can be found in journals of agronomy from the 1880s.
In the 20th century, Marta Willuweit, born in 1909, emerged as a notable figure in the arts. Marta was an accomplished painter whose works reflected the tumultuous times of pre-war Germany. Her pieces are held in various art collections and her exhibitions during the late 1930s and early 1940s received critical acclaim.
The surname Willuweit, woven through these centuries, has left a distinct mark in various regions and fields, illustrating the diverse heritage and historical significance carried within this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willuweit
Among Census respondents with the surname Willuweit, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Willuweit 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 Willuweit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 99
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willuweit
Willuweit 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,060 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 11,060 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,317 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 Willuweit 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 | #154,907 | #153,590 | 0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 104 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willuweit bearers went from 105 to 104 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #153,590.
FAQ
Willuweit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willuweit?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Willuweit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Willuweit?
Willuweit ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Willuweit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Willuweit.
Has Willuweit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willuweit went from 105 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Willuweit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willuweit, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Willuweit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willuweit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Willuweit (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 Willuweit mean?
An archaic German surname from a personal name meaning "will" and "mighty". 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 Willuweit (0.03 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 Willuweit?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.