How common is the surname Will?

12,575 people in the United States had the surname Will in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 24,552 Americans. It ranked 2,869th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Will?

George Will, American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author, followed by Brad Will.

Where is the surname Will most common?

Wikidata records people named Will in the United States.

Is the surname Will getting more or less common?

Less common. 13,177 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 12,575 in 2010, down 4.6%.

Is Will also a first name?

Yes. Will is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Will

A patronymic surname, carried by 12,575 people in the United States.

Pronounced /wɪl/ 1 syllable Soundex W400 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Will is more common than 98.2% of them.

Origin

Clipping of William or Willow, less often, other given names beginning with Wil-, such as Wilfred or Willard.

Will is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 12,575 people named Will in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 24,552 Americans. That is down 4.6% since 2000, when the Census counted 13,177.

#2,869

rank among US surnames

12,575

people in 2010

4.3

per 100,000 Americans

-4.6%

change since 2000 (was #2,514)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#2,865	Orlando	12,586	24,531
#2,867	Trammell	12,582	24,539
#2,868	Guinn	12,577	24,548
#2,869	Will	12,575	24,552
#2,870	Muse	12,571	24,560

Who is named Will

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

91% of people named Will identified as white (not Hispanic), 4.3% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.0% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 91%
Black (not Hispanic) 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.0%
Two or more races 1.4%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.3%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Wills

3 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

George Will
American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author, born 1941
Brad Will
American activist (1970–2006)
Bob Will
American rower (1925–2019)

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Will

Will has the Soundex code W400, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code W400.

Questions

Where does the surname Will come from?: Clipping of William or Willow, less often, other given names beginning with Wil-, such as Wilfred or Willard.
How common is the surname Will?: 12,575 people in the United States had the surname Will in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 24,552 Americans. It ranked 2,869th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Will?: In the 2010 Census, 91% of people named Will identified as white (not Hispanic), and 4.3% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Will?: George Will, American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author, followed by Brad Will.
Where is the surname Will most common?: Wikidata records people named Will in the United States.
How do you pronounce Will?: Will is /wɪl/, one syllable.
What type of surname is Will?: Will is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Will getting more or less common?: Less common. 13,177 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 12,575 in 2010, down 4.6%.
Is Will also a first name?: Yes. Will is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.