Wilbur

Wilbur - A very unique male name

Wilbur appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #104. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Wilbur and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Wilbur? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Wilbur. The baby boy name Wilbur was given to 5 baby boys in 2024, ranking #4335 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 295,303 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Wilbur peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 91.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Wilbur, 1-5?

Wilbur is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Wilbur is currently topping the baby name charts in Iowa at position #647 - and is the least popular in Iowa at position #647.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Wilbur is where you live.

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Wilbur origin and meaning

English surname

A transferred surname; its own origin — possibly an Old English personal name with wil, 'will', at its root — is uncertain

Wilbur rode in with the Wright brothers generation, peaking in 1918 with 1,791 births and totalling 49,255. It has no row in 2020 or 2025.

Origin uncertain

Wilbur is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Wilbur, pop culture references for the name Wilbur and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Wilbur

We've found the following names that sound similar to Wilbur, sorted by popularity.

Wilbert / Wilfred / Wilfredo / Wilburn / Wilford / Wilber / Wilfrid / Welford / Wilfrido / Wilberto /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Wilbur

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Wilbur a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Wilbur?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

WIL-bur · /ˈwɪlbər/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: WillWil

Famous bearers

• Wilbur Wright — Co-inventor of the aeroplane with his brother Orville (1867–1912) Historical

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A gentle, bespectacled old-timer of a name, kept in memory by Wilbur Wright and the pig in Charlotte's Web.

Worth knowing

• The talking pig Wilbur in Charlotte's Web is the other strong association