Wilbur
Wilbur was the 4040th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 91st; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,800). Over the last ten years it has moved down 361 places. More babies were named Wilbur in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Old English, Germanic
Say it WIL-ber /ˈwɪlbər/
- Rank in 2025
- #4,040 boys, up 648 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 27boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,800 babies
- Total since 1880
- 57,196babies recorded
What does the name Wilbur mean?
Wilbur is an English surname used as a first name, and its origin is disputed. Wiktionary derives it from the Old English woman's name Wilburg, from wil, "will, desire", and burh, "fortress". Wikipedia reports that the most accepted theory instead combines Germanic words for "wild" and "boar". The name is best known from Wilbur Wright, co-inventor of the airplane, and from the pig in Charlotte's Web.
Wilburg (Old English, “wil "will" + burh "fortress"”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Two different etymologies are proposed: "will + fortress" (from the female name Wilburg) and "wild + boar".
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wilbur', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Wilbur (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Wilbur
The usual nicknames for Wilbur are Will. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Wilbur in the last five years, 564 were named Will, against 1690 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will · also for William, Willard, Wilbert | Traditional | #1,195 | 886 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Wilburs go by each one.
Wilbur popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 290 since 1912.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,040 | 27 |
| 2020 | #4,688 | 21 |
| 2010 | #4,513 | 22 |
| 2000 | #2,991 | 30 |
| 1990 | #1,613 | 52 |
| 1980 | #919 | 95 |
| 1970 | #671 | 149 |
| 1960 | #426 | 354 |
| 1950 | #308 | 488 |
| 1940 | #193 | 705 |
| 1930 | #141 | 1,214 |
| 1920 | #98 | 1,741 |
| 1910 | #104 | 298 |
| 1900 | #139 | 161 |
| 1890 | #150 | 94 |
| 1880 | #162 | 82 |
How popular is Wilbur, counting every spelling?
Wilbur is the most common spelling of a name family that had 54 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 54 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilbur | 27 | #4,040 | 157 |
| Wilber | 27 | #4,039 | 150 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Wilbur?
27 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wilbur (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wilbur born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 310 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wilbur.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wilbur?
About 11,300 people born in the US named Wilbur are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 55 and 79. That makes Wilbur a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Wilbur by state
How common Wilbur was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Wilbur: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wilbur, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wilbur · Sibling names for Wilbur
Questions about the name Wilbur
What does Wilbur mean?
The meaning of Wilbur is disputed: two different etymologies are proposed: "will + fortress" (from the female name Wilburg) and "wild + boar".
How popular is the name Wilbur?
Wilbur was the 4040th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 91st; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,800). Over the last ten years it has moved down 361 places. More babies were named Wilbur in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Wilbur a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Wilbur in the US.
Where is Wilbur most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wilbur was most common in Iowa (0.07 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Wisconsin.