Given name & surname
Wilbur
“one who is willful; a bright man”
Wilbur is a variant of Wilbert. One German interpretation is “one who is willful; a bright man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Wilbur is a variant of Wilbert. One German interpretation is “one who is willful; a bright man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Old English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Wilbur through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 57,196
- 56,906 boys · 290 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 1,809 babies
- 2025
- 27
- #4,040 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 27 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,040 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,800 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,535 as a first name in 2020; 8,766 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Wilbur
- Wilbur SmithSouth African novelist (1933–2021)
- Wilbur ScovilleAmerican pharmacist (1865–1942)
- Wilbur RossUnited States 39th Secretary of Commerceborn 1937
- Wilbur ThompsonAmerican track and field athlete, gold medal in shot put at the 1948 Summer Olympics (1921-2013)
- Will JenningsAmerican songwriter (1944–2024)
- Wilbur WrightAmerican aviation pioneer (1867-1912)
- Buck ClaytonAmerican jazz trumpeter (1911-1991)
- Wilbur CushNorthern Irish footballer (1928-1981)
- Wilbur WareAmerican jazz musician (1923-1979)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Wilbur, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who wishes for peace”
>99% boys
Willard
“a resolute and brave man”
>99% boys
Webster
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Weldon
“from the hill near a spring”
>99% boys
Wilford
“from the willow ford”
>99% boys
Worth
“enclosure”
>99% boys
Walton
“from the walled town; from the stream town”
>99% boys
Waldo
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys