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    The first name Wilbur

    A boy’s name from English meaning “will”, “fortress”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    English origin

    Wilbur means “will”, “fortress” in English.

    From an Old English female given name Wilburg, from wil (“will”) + burh (“fortress”).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 67 boys were named Wilbur, making it the 578th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 95 births (#429).

    050100 1996200020052010201520202025
    1,042
    babies named Wilbur, 1996–2025
    #578
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Wilbur with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Wilbur at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 27 boys born in the United States were named Wilbur, the 4,040th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 1,800 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    57,196
    babies named Wilbur since 1880
    #4,040
    rank in 2025
    1918
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Wilbur

    22 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr.
      American pharmacologist (1915–1974)
    • Wilbur Scoville
      American pharmacist (1865–1942)
    • Wilbur Thompson
      American track and field athlete, gold medal in shot put at the 1948 Summer Olympics (1921
    • Wilbur Wright
      American aviation pioneer (1867-1912)
    • Wilbur Ware
      American jazz musician (1923-1979)
    • Theodore Wilbur Anderson
      American statistician (1918–2016)
    • Wilbur Higby
      American actor (1867–1934)
    • Wilbur Olin Atwater
      American agricultural chemist (1844–1907); developer of the respiration calorimeter
    • Wilbur Sweatman
      American musician (1882–1961)
    • Wilbur de Paris
      American musician (1900–1973)
    • Wilbur Schramm
      American writer, journalist, scholar (1907–1987)
    • Wilbur Wood
      American baseball player (1941–2026)

    More English boys’ names

    All 216 names of English origin

    Questions

    What does the name Wilbur mean?
    Wilbur means “will”, “fortress” in English.
    What is the origin of the name Wilbur?
    From an Old English female given name Wilburg, from wil (“will”) + burh (“fortress”).
    How popular is the name Wilbur?
    In 2025, 67 boys born in England and Wales were named Wilbur, ranking 578th. Its peak was 2019, with 95 births.
    Is Wilbur a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 57,196 US babies named Wilbur since 1880 were boys.
    When was Wilbur most popular?
    1918 in the United States, when 1,800 babies were named Wilbur, its highest rank at 97th.
    Is Wilbur also a surname?
    Yes. Wilbur is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.