2000
#6,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,661
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Wilmot
Derived from a place name meaning "willow tree hill," from Old English elements wilig, meaning "willow," and mot, "hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,487 Americans carry the last name Wilmot. That puts it at #6,775 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilmot 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wilmot with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,467
Census rank
#6,775
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,785 bearers of the surname Wilmot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6775th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilmot, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilmot
The surname Wilmot has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "wille" and "mot," meaning "will" and "meeting" or "assembly." The surname likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who attended important gatherings or meetings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Willemot" and "Wilmet," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time.
During the 12th century, the Wilmot family emerged as prominent landowners and influential figures in the county of Warwickshire. Sir John Wilmot, born around 1150, was a notable member of the family who held lands in Chadshunt and served as a knight under King John.
The surname continued to gain prominence in the following centuries. Sir Nicholas Wilmot (1515-1571) was a prominent politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire and played a crucial role in suppressing the Rising of the North, a rebellion against the Queen's religious policies.
In the 17th century, John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), gained notoriety as a poet, satirist, and courtier in the court of King Charles II. His bawdy and explicit works earned him both acclaim and controversy during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Sir John Eardley Wilmot (1709-1792), a renowned English judge and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He made significant contributions to the development of English common law and is remembered for his fair and impartial rulings.
The Wilmot family also had connections to place names in England. The village of Wilmcote in Warwickshire is believed to have derived its name from the Wilmot family, who held lands in the area during medieval times. Similarly, the hamlet of Wilmot in Devon may have been named after members of the Wilmot family who settled there.
Throughout history, the surname Wilmot has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, politicians, poets, and legal scholars. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name has maintained its connection to its Old English roots and continues to be a prominent surname in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilmot
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilmot, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilmot 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 Wilmot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 3,834
- Black or African American8.4% · 401
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 265
- Two or more races4.9% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilmot
Wilmot 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
#6,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,910
+249 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 173 places
2020
#6,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,785
-125 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,681 | 4,661 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,854 | 4,910 | 1.66 | +249 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 173 places |
| 2020 | #6,775 | 4,785 | 1.60 | -125 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 79 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 Wilmot 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 | #6,854 | #6,775 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,910 | 4,785 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.60 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilmot bearers went from 4,910 to 4,785 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,854 to #6,775.
FAQ
Wilmot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilmot?
Name Census estimates that about 5,487 living Americans carry the surname Wilmot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,467 residents.
How common is Wilmot?
Wilmot ranks #6,775 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,785 people with the surname Wilmot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,487), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Wilmot.
Has Wilmot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilmot went from 4,910 recorded bearers to 4,785. That is a decrease of 125 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,854 to #6,775.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilmot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilmot, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Wilmot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (3,834 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilmot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (8.4%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Wilmot (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 Wilmot mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "willow tree hill," from Old English elements wilig, meaning "willow," and mot, "hill." 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 Wilmot (1.60 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 people share the surname Wilmot?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.