# Wilbur (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/wilbur/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a matronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 9,527 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,719 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 32,407 people |
| Change since 2000 | -2.0% (9,722 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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

## Who carries it

Share of people named Wilbur in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 90% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 2.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Wilbur in the United States.

## People named Wilbur

- Richard Wilbur, American poet (1921-2017)
- Crane Wilbur, American actor, film writer, director (1886-1973)
- George P. Wilbur, American actor (1941–2023)
- Ray Lyman Wilbur, American physician and politician (1875–1949); president of Stanford University from 1933 
- Curtis D. Wilbur, American judge (1867-1954)

## Similar surnames

Wilber, Wilburn, Wilborn, Wilbert, Wilford, Wilbourn, Walburn, Wilfred, Wolford, Williford, Welborn, Wolverton.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.