Boys' name · since 1880
Wilbur
56,906 babies named Wilbur in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #465 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,950 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 56,906
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Wilbur currently ranks #3950 among boys' names in America, with 56,906 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wilbur has been recorded 56,906 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #3950 nationally and more common than 72% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #465 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,950 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 56,906 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wilbur ranks #465 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,950 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 56,906 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #465 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,950 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 56,906
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Wilbur's 56,906 recorded births place it above 98.97% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
48 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Ohio.
How Wilbur compares
56,906 Top 4% higher than 96% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Wilbur's all-time total is 154x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilbur | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 56,906 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,800 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wilbur's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wilbur's full recorded timeline at 1953, 15% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 85% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2012, with just 15 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 1,800 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wilbur popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,800
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilbur popularity over time - girls
290 total births recorded since 1912 (Wilbur as girls' name)
Wilbur by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (15,713 births, 28% of the file).
1920s was Wilbur's strongest decade.
15,713 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Wilbur births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 914
1880s
914 births
- 1890s 1,142
1890s
1,142 births
- 1900s 1,839
1900s
1,839 births
- 1910s
1910s
12,411 births
- 1920s
1920s
15,713 births
- 1930s
1930s
9,044 births
- 1940s 5,962
1940s
5,962 births
- 1950s 4,133
1950s
4,133 births
- 1960s 2,572
1960s
2,572 births
- 1970s 1,273
1970s
1,273 births
- 1980s 782
1980s
782 births
- 1990s 433
1990s
433 births
- 2000s 259
2000s
259 births
- 2010s 251
2010s
251 births
- 2020s 178
2020s
178 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 15,713 births (28% of all-time use).
How Wilbur compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Wilbur's total volume
Wilbur by state
Where Wilbur concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ohio | | 4,201 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 4,135 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 3,287 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Indiana | | 2,495 | 4.4% |
| #5 | New York | | 2,410 | 4.2% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 1,943 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 1,863 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 1,811 | 3.2% |
4,201 of 56,906 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Wilbur appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilbur? ▼
Where does Wilbur sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Wilbur most popular? ▼
Where is Wilbur most popular? ▼
How long has the name Wilbur been used? ▼
What names are similar to Wilbur? ▼
What to do with Wilbur's data
- Wilbur's decade-level peak was the 1920s (15,713 total births); usage has since declined to 178 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Wilburs (4,201 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Ohio names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wilbur
Nearby Names Like Wilbur
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilbur
Compare Wilbur side by side: Wilbur vs William Wilbur vs Willie Wilbur vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilbur
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wilbur: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Wilbur draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.