2000
#19,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Wilhoite
Of undetermined meaning and origin, potentially a variant of an English place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,502 Americans carry the last name Wilhoite. That puts it at #20,478 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 228,199 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilhoite 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
1.5K
1 in 228,199
Census rank
#20,478
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,310 bearers of the surname Wilhoite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20478th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoite, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilhoite
The surname Wilhoite is believed to have origins in England, specifically dating back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from geographical features or locations. While there is some debate on the exact etymology, one theory suggests that Wilhoite may be derived from the Old English words wilig, meaning "willow," and hoh, meaning "hill" or "promontory." Therefore, Wilhoite could be interpreted as "willow hill" or "hill with willows."
Historical references to the surname Wilhoite are relatively scarce, which indicates that it may have been a localized surname not widely spread in early records. There are no direct mentions of the name Wilhoite in well-known historical documents like the Domesday Book, which suggests it may not have been established prominently by the 11th century. The earliest documented instances of the surname appear to be found in parish records and wills from the late medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Wilhoite is John Wilhoite, mentioned in English parish records from the mid-16th century. Another early instance is William Wilhoite, who appears in a 1590 land transaction document in Yorkshire. These records indicate that the surname was in use by then and likely linked to rural areas associated with willow trees and hills.
As time progressed, the surname Wilhoite found its way to America. During the 18th century, John Wilhoite, born around 1730, emigrated from England to the American colonies, where he settled in Virginia. His descendants are known to have played various roles in American history, particularly in the Southern states. Isaiah Wilhoite, born in 1802, served as a local official in Kentucky and is noted in state legislative records from the early 19th century.
In the 19th century, the surname continued to spread across the United States. James Wilhoite, born in 1847, became a prominent farmer and local leader in Tennessee. His son, Benjamin Wilhoite, born in 1875, continued the family's agricultural traditions and expanded their landholdings significantly.
One of the more famous individuals with the Wilhoite surname in modern history is journalist and author John Wilhoite, born in 1945. His work has been recognized in national publications, and he has contributed to numerous scholarly articles on American history.
Overall, while the surname Wilhoite does not appear prominently in early historical records, it has a clear lineage traced back to England and a strong presence in the United States. The name's association with natural land features and its journey from England to America provide a fascinating glimpse into its evolution over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilhoite
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoite, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilhoite 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 Wilhoite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 1,068
- Black or African American11.1% · 145
- Two or more races5.2% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilhoite
Wilhoite 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
#19,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,378
+77 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 309 places
2020
#20,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,310
-68 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 897 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,272 | 1,301 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,581 | 1,378 | 0.47 | +77 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 309 places |
| 2020 | #20,478 | 1,310 | 0.44 | -68 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 897 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 Wilhoite 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 | #19,581 | #20,478 | -4.6% |
| Count | 1,378 | 1,310 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.44 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilhoite bearers went from 1,378 to 1,310 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 897 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,581 to #20,478.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wilhoite
FAQ
Wilhoite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilhoite?
Name Census estimates that about 1,502 living Americans carry the surname Wilhoite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 228,199 residents.
How common is Wilhoite?
Wilhoite ranks #20,478 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,310 people with the surname Wilhoite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Wilhoite.
Has Wilhoite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilhoite went from 1,378 recorded bearers to 1,310. That is a decrease of 68 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,581 to #20,478.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilhoite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilhoite, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Wilhoite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (1,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilhoite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (11.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Wilhoite (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 Wilhoite mean?
Of undetermined meaning and origin, potentially a variant of an English place name. 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 Wilhoite (0.44 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 have the last name Wilhoite?
Find out how many people have the last name Wilhoite on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.