How common is the surname Willis?

130,152 people in the United States had the surname Willis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,372 Americans. It ranked 230th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Willis?

Rumer Willis, American actress, followed by Connie Willis.

Where is the surname Willis most common?

Wikidata records people named Willis in the United States, the United Kingdom and Argentina and 1 other country.

How do you pronounce Willis?

Willis is /ˈwɪlɪs/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Willis getting more or less common?

More common. 125,627 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 130,152 in 2010, up 3.6%.

Is Willis also a first name?

Yes. Willis 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 Willis

A patronymic surname, carried by 130,152 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈwɪlɪs/ 2 syllables Soundex W420 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). Willis is more common than 99.9% of them.

Origin

An English surname originating as a patronymic from the name Will.

Willis 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 130,152 people named Willis in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 2,372 Americans. That is up 3.6% since 2000, when the Census counted 125,627.

#230

rank among US surnames

130,152

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3.6%

change since 2000 (was #216)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#221	Delgado	132,985	2,322
#222	Berry	132,812	2,325
#223	Perkins	131,440	2,349
#224	Hoffman	131,401	2,350
#225	Johnston	131,373	2,350
#226	Matthews	131,303	2,351
#227	Pena	130,776	2,361

Who is named Willis

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

62% of people named Willis identified as white (not Hispanic), 31% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as two or more races.

White (not Hispanic) 62%
Black (not Hispanic) 31%
Two or more races 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Williss

39 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Rumer Willis
American actress, born 1988
Connie Willis
American science fiction writer, born 1945
Victor Willis
American singer (1951–2026)
Nathaniel Parker Willis
American magazine writer, editor, and publisher (1806-1867)
Emily Willis
American pornographic film actress (born 1999)
Ellen Willis
American writer, 1941–2006
Kevin Willis
American basketball player (born 1962)
Chris Willis
American singer and songwriter, born 1969
Gordon Willis
American cinematographer and film director (1931-2014)
Wesley Willis
American musician and artist (1963–2003)
Ike Willis
American musician, 1955–2026
Chuck Willis
American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter (1926-1958)

Notable Williss come mostly from the United States (35), the United Kingdom (2) and Argentina (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Willis

Willis has the Soundex code W420, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code W420.

Questions

How common is the surname Willis?: 130,152 people in the United States had the surname Willis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,372 Americans. It ranked 230th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Willis?: In the 2010 Census, 62% of people named Willis identified as white (not Hispanic), and 31% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Willis?: Rumer Willis, American actress, followed by Connie Willis.
Where is the surname Willis most common?: Wikidata records people named Willis in the United States, the United Kingdom and Argentina and 1 other country.
How do you pronounce Willis?: Willis is /ˈwɪlɪs/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Willis?: Willis is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Willis getting more or less common?: More common. 125,627 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 130,152 in 2010, up 3.6%.
Is Willis also a first name?: Yes. Willis 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.