2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wilroy
A variant of the name Wilfred, combining the Germanic elements wil meaning "will" and rod meaning "famous".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Wilroy. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilroy 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Wilroy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilroy
The surname Wilroy traces its origins back to England. It first emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries, an era rich with the development and recording of surnames. The name likely originated in the areas surrounding the Anglo-Scottish border, known for its turbulent history and strong communities of people with Anglo-Norman lineage.
The etymology of Wilroy is somewhat ambiguous, with possible roots from Old English and French influences. The prefix "Wil" might derive from "William," a common name of Germanic origin meaning "resolute protector." The suffix "roy" possibly traces its roots back to the Old French "roi," meaning "king." If so, the surname could have originally meant "protector of the king" or someone under the patronage of a kingly figure. However, given the structure, it might also amalgamate local place name elements or occupational titles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wilroy appears in a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 13th century. The Oxfordshire Acquittances of 1298 mentions a John Wilroy, a minor noble who held land and performed legal duties for the local barony. Such entries suggest that the bearers of this surname were integrated into notable societal roles from quite early on.
In the 15th century, the records of the English Chancery Court include references to a Hugh Wilroy, documented around 1436, who petitioned the court in a land dispute involving properties in Yorkshire. Another notable individual was Thomas Wilroy, an ecclesiastical figure and scholar born in 1482, who made significant contributions to the local parish records and scholastic manuscripts until his death in 1545.
The name also appears in parish records from the early 17th century, with Eliza Wilroy (born 1603) recorded in baptismal documents from Northumberland. These records reflect the geographic spread of the Wilroy surname within England and its bearing on significant community roles through the generations.
Captain George Wilroy, a notable maritime figure from the early 18th century, captained several merchant ships that sailed between England and the American colonies. Born in 1695, he played a significant role in the transatlantic trade until his retirement in 1750.
The late 19th century brings us William Henry Wilroy (1821-1891), an industrialist who considerably influenced the wool and textile industry in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His contributions to industrial practices earned his family a reputable standing within the local business community and beyond.
Throughout the centuries, the Wilroy surname has silently echoed the societal shifts and geographical travels of its bearers, making indelible marks in various roles, from noble duties and ecclesiastical scholarship to maritime navigation and industrial entrepreneurship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilroy
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilroy 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 Wilroy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Two or more races6.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilroy
Wilroy 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,068 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,068 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,701 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 Wilroy 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 | #137,327 | #145,028 | -5.6% |
| Count | 122 | 116 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilroy bearers went from 122 to 116 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,701 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,028.
FAQ
Wilroy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilroy?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Wilroy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Wilroy?
Wilroy ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 116 people with the surname Wilroy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Wilroy.
Has Wilroy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilroy went from 122 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilroy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Wilroy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilroy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Wilroy (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 Wilroy mean?
A variant of the name Wilfred, combining the Germanic elements wil meaning "will" and rod meaning "famous". 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 Wilroy (0.04 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 Wilroy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.