2000
#38,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 543
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Willock
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Old English words 'wil' meaning willow and 'loh' meaning a low-lying area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 725 Americans carry the last name Willock. That puts it at #37,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 472,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Willock 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 Willock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
725
1 in 472,765
Census rank
#37,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
632
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 632 bearers of the surname Willock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Willock, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Willock
The surname Willock can be traced back to its origins in Scotland and Northern England, likely emerging in the medieval period. Derived from the Old English elements "wil" meaning desire or will, and the diminutive suffix "loc," it likely denoted someone with a strong will or a notable personality trait. Over time, its spelling evolved in various records, reflecting the linguistic changes of the regions it inhabited.
The earliest forms of the surname appear in medieval manuscripts and legal documents. One of the earliest known instances of the name occurs in a 12th-century Scottish charter, mentioning a Walter Willoc, a landowner in the region of Lothian. It is important to note that the name's spelling has fluctuated, with variations such as Willoc, Wilock, and Wyllock appearing in different historical texts.
In England, the name is documented in the 13th-century Assize Rolls of Yorkshire, where a John Willoc is recorded as a juror in 1249. This period in history saw significant documentation of surnames due to legal and tax purposes, helping solidify the presence of the name in the northern counties of England.
A notable historical figure bearing this surname is James Willock, a Scottish cleric born in 1500 who played a role in the Reformation. His contributions to religious transformation in Scotland during the early 16th century highlight the surname's long-standing association with the region and its history.
Moving forward in time, Andrew Willock, born in 1675, served as a shipwright in Newcastle upon Tyne, reflecting the surname's presence in northeastern England and its link to maritime trades. His work contributed to the expansion of England's naval capabilities during a period of intense shipbuilding activity.
In the 18th century, Elizabeth Willock, born in 1745, gained fame as a skilled lacemaker in Nottingham, a city renowned for its lace industry. Her expertise and craftsmanship were highly regarded, signifying the surname's association with significant trades and industries of the period.
Closing the historical examples with the 19th century, George Willock, born in 1812, emerged as a prominent figure in the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. Operating in Manchester, his innovations in weaving technology marked a crucial point in the advancement of industrial manufacturing in England.
Through these historical references, it is apparent that the surname Willock has roots deeply embedded in the medieval periods of Scotland and England. Its evolution through various trades and historical events highlights a rich and diverse heritage associated with the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Willock
Among Census respondents with the surname Willock, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Willock 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 Willock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.3% · 356
- Black or African American31.6% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 42
- Two or more races3.2% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Willock
Willock 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
#39,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 565
+22 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 684 places
2020
#37,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 632
+67 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 1,196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38,320 | 543 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,004 | 565 | 0.19 | +22 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 684 places |
| 2020 | #37,808 | 632 | 0.21 | +67 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 1,196 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 Willock 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 | #39,004 | #37,808 | 3.1% |
| Count | 565 | 632 | 11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.21 | 11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Willock bearers went from 565 to 632 (+11.9% change). The surname moved up 1,196 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,004 to #37,808.
FAQ
Willock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Willock?
Name Census estimates that about 725 living Americans carry the surname Willock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 472,765 residents.
How common is Willock?
Willock ranks #37,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 632 people with the surname Willock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (725), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Willock.
Has Willock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Willock went from 565 recorded bearers to 632. That is an increase of 67 (+11.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,004 to #37,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Willock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Willock, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Willock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.3% (356 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Willock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.3%), Black (31.6%), Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Willock (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 Willock mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Old English words 'wil' meaning willow and 'loh' meaning a low-lying area. 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 Willock (0.21 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 Willock?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Willock at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.