Wilbur
Wilbur was given to 27 boys in 2025, #4,039 among boys’ names; 57,196 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 11,400 Americans named Wilbur and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (20% of everyone recorded); the median is 69 years old and half are between 56 and 79.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Wilbur by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Wilbur mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Wilbur is “a male given name transferred from the surname.” Its etymology gives the senses “will” (wil) and “fortress” (burh).
Also “a stereotypical given name for a pig.”
From an Old English female given name Wilburg, from wil (“will”) + burh (“fortress”).
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Wilbur?
#4,039 among boys’ names, 2025
Wilbur fell from #3,678 in 2015 to #4,039 in 2025 among boys’ names, although its share of boys born rose from 15.7 to 15.8 per million.
1,809 babies in 1918, the peak
Wilbur peaked in 1918, when 1,809 babies were given it (1,800 boys, #97 among boys’ names). The 27 births of 2025 are 1% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #4,039 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 42 | #2,997 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 33 | #3,558 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 30 | #3,766 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 25 | #4,229 | 0.01 |
| 2020 | 21 | #4,684 | 0.01 |
| 2019 | 37 | #3,189 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 28 | #3,878 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 28 | #3,879 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 25 | #4,191 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 30 | #3,678 | 0.02 |
| 2014 | 23 | #4,380 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 22 | #4,454 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 15 | #5,973 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 21 | #4,646 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 22 | #4,512 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 24 | #4,268 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,259 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 28 | #3,788 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 24 | #4,093 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 19 | #4,622 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3,626 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3,269 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 27 | #3,339 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 28 | #3,219 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 30 | #2,985 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 31 | #2,789 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 41 | #2,229 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 38 | #2,253 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 37 | #2,247 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 41 | #2,049 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 42 | #2,004 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 39 | #2,082 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 53 | #1,652 | 0.03 |
| 1991 | 59 | #1,494 | 0.03 |
| 1990 | 52 | #1,608 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 62 | #1,392 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 72 | #1,200 | 0.04 |
| 1987 | 62 | #1,244 | 0.03 |
| 1986 | 65 | #1,186 | 0.04 |
| 1985 | 80 | #1,031 | 0.04 |
| 1984 | 74 | #1,040 | 0.04 |
| 1983 | 72 | #1,048 | 0.04 |
| 1982 | 97 | #913 | 0.05 |
| 1981 | 103 | #881 | 0.06 |
| 1980 | 95 | #919 | 0.05 |
| 1979 | 104 | #854 | 0.06 |
| 1978 | 112 | #810 | 0.07 |
| 1977 | 106 | #829 | 0.06 |
| 1976 | 104 | #824 | 0.07 |
| 1975 | 122 | #757 | 0.08 |
| 1974 | 124 | #731 | 0.08 |
| 1973 | 127 | #717 | 0.08 |
| 1972 | 132 | #702 | 0.08 |
| 1971 | 193 | #599 | 0.11 |
| 1970 | 149 | #671 | 0.08 |
| 1969 | 204 | #551 | 0.11 |
| 1968 | 181 | #567 | 0.10 |
| 1967 | 176 | #568 | 0.10 |
| 1966 | 238 | #491 | 0.13 |
| 1965 | 255 | #485 | 0.14 |
| 1964 | 276 | #476 | 0.14 |
| 1963 | 269 | #487 | 0.13 |
| 1962 | 310 | #452 | 0.15 |
| 1961 | 309 | #461 | 0.15 |
| 1960 | 354 | #426 | 0.17 |
| 1959 | 354 | #423 | 0.17 |
| 1958 | 352 | #418 | 0.17 |
| 1957 | 384 | #394 | 0.18 |
| 1956 | 402 | #368 | 0.19 |
| 1955 | 435 | #345 | 0.21 |
| 1954 | 429 | #344 | 0.21 |
| 1953 | 437 | #334 | 0.22 |
| 1952 | 416 | #342 | 0.21 |
| 1951 | 436 | #328 | 0.23 |
| 1950 | 488 | #308 | 0.27 |
| 1949 | 487 | #309 | 0.27 |
| 1948 | 537 | #297 | 0.31 |
| 1947 | 595 | #283 | 0.33 |
| 1946 | 523 | #281 | 0.32 |
| 1945 | 508 | #259 | 0.38 |
| 1944 | 586 | #232 | 0.43 |
| 1943 | 667 | #218 | 0.47 |
| 1942 | 688 | #214 | 0.50 |
| 1941 | 666 | #204 | 0.54 |
| 1940 | 705 | #193 | 0.61 |
| 1939 | 702 | #190 | 0.63 |
| 1938 | 842 | #173 | 0.76 |
| 1937 | 725 | #183 | 0.68 |
| 1936 | 781 | #173 | 0.75 |
| 1935 | 861 | #166 | 0.83 |
| 1934 | 920 | #162 | 0.89 |
| 1933 | 896 | #159 | 0.90 |
| 1932 | 1,016 | #152 | 1.0 |
| 1931 | 1,087 | #149 | 1.0 |
| 1930 | 1,214 | #141 | 1.1 |
| 1929 | 1,294 | #131 | 1.2 |
| 1928 | 1,400 | #127 | 1.3 |
| 1927 | 1,361 | #130 | 1.2 |
| 1926 | 1,510 | #122 | 1.4 |
| 1925 | 1,597 | #110 | 1.4 |
| 1924 | 1,667 | #106 | 1.5 |
| 1923 | 1,672 | #105 | 1.5 |
| 1922 | 1,716 | #102 | 1.6 |
| 1921 | 1,755 | #100 | 1.6 |
| 1920 | 1,741 | #98 | 1.6 |
| 1919 | 1,689 | #98 | 1.7 |
| 1918 | 1,800 | #97 | 1.8 |
| 1917 | 1,749 | #92 | 1.9 |
| 1916 | 1,680 | #94 | 1.9 |
| 1915 | 1,685 | #92 | 2.0 |
| 1914 | 1,248 | #96 | 1.9 |
| 1913 | 1,044 | #91 | 2.0 |
| 1912 | 832 | #92 | 1.9 |
| 1911 | 386 | #101 | 1.7 |
| 1910 | 298 | #104 | 1.5 |
| 1909 | 259 | #106 | 1.6 |
| 1908 | 233 | #110 | 1.5 |
| 1907 | 209 | #114 | 1.4 |
| 1906 | 175 | #123 | 1.3 |
| 1905 | 167 | #132 | 1.3 |
| 1904 | 177 | #121 | 1.4 |
| 1903 | 165 | #121 | 1.4 |
| 1902 | 163 | #120 | 1.3 |
| 1901 | 130 | #130 | 1.2 |
| 1900 | 161 | #139 | 1.1 |
| 1899 | 115 | #140 | 1.1 |
| 1898 | 156 | #118 | 1.3 |
| 1897 | 111 | #145 | 1.0 |
| 1896 | 120 | #138 | 1.0 |
| 1895 | 125 | #133 | 1.1 |
| 1894 | 104 | #149 | 0.90 |
| 1893 | 104 | #144 | 0.93 |
| 1892 | 116 | #141 | 1.0 |
| 1891 | 97 | #140 | 1.0 |
| 1890 | 94 | #150 | 0.85 |
| 1889 | 102 | #143 | 0.92 |
| 1888 | 103 | #147 | 0.85 |
| 1887 | 112 | #119 | 1.1 |
| 1886 | 106 | #130 | 1.0 |
| 1885 | 92 | #148 | 0.85 |
| 1884 | 82 | #173 | 0.72 |
| 1883 | 73 | #171 | 0.70 |
| 1882 | 81 | #169 | 0.71 |
| 1881 | 81 | #153 | 0.80 |
| 1880 | 82 | #162 | 0.74 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Wilbur a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Wilbur has been given almost only to boys: 290 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Wilbur: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Wilbur, and how old are they?
11,400 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 20% of the 57,196 Americans ever recorded as Wilbur. The median Wilbur alive today is 69 years old; half are between 56 and 79.
The 2020 Census counted 13,535 people named Wilbur (45 women and girls, 13,490 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 14,731 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 2,490 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 5,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 2,110 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 956 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 419 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 368 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Wilbur born?
The states with the most babies named Wilbur are Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois, with 24% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 4,201 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 4,135 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Illinois | 3,287 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Indiana | 2,495 | not ranked | 1.8× |
| New York | 2,410 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| North Carolina | 1,943 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Missouri | 1,863 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Georgia | 1,811 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Virginia | 1,725 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| South Carolina | 1,608 | not ranked | 1.5× |
Where Wilbur is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Wilbur is most over-represented in Indiana: since 1910 it was given 1.8 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Wilbur with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 64,098 babies since 1880, Wilbur is the most given (89% of them). In 2025 it was given to 27 of their 54 babies (50%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Wilbur
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Wilbur and names like it
- Compare Wilbur and WilberBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sWilbur peaked in 1918.
- Ohio’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Wilbur since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Wilbur: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1918The year the most babies were named Wilbur.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Wilbur alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with WMost given first.