Explore the Family Name Willem
The meaning of Willem
1. Dutch and Flemish: from the ancient Germanic personal name Willahalm, composed of the elements wil ‘will, desire’ + helm ‘helmet, protection’. 2. Walloon and French (mainly Nord, Alsace, and Lorraine): variant of Guillaume, a cognate of 1 above. 3. German (mainly Rhineland-Palatinate): variant of Wilhelm, a cognate of 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: German Juergen, Kurt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Willem in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data for the surname Willem, this name has experienced a slight decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 70,906 in terms of prevalence, and by 2010 it had dropped slightly to 78,821, indicating an 11.16% decrease. The actual count of individuals bearing the Willem surname also decreased during this decade, with 257 people having this surname in 2000 and 242 in 2010, marking a decrease of 5.84%. Consequently, the proportion of Willems per 100,000 people also decreased by 20% over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #70,906 | #78,821 | -11.16% |
| Count | 257 | 242 | -5.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.08 | -20% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Willem
In terms of ethnicity, also based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there are shifts evident in the distribution among those with the Willem surname. In both 2000 and 2010, there were no recorded instances of this surname among Asian/Pacific Islanders, those of two or more races, Blacks, or American Indians and Alaskan Natives. However, a dominant proportion of Willems identify as White, making up 90.66% in 2000 and 88.84% in 2010, showing a small decline of 2.01%. Meanwhile, Hispanic representation within the Willem surname increased by 31.46%, from 8.17% in 2000 to 10.74% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.66% | 88.84% | -2.01% |
| Hispanic | 8.17% | 10.74% | 31.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |