NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilbourn

Derived from a place name meaning "spring or stream by a willow tree" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Wilbourn surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whittington, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilbourn is 213 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.0%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1911

213 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilbourn had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Wilbourn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Wilbourn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Wilbourn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilbourn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 90 #18,317
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1911 historical 213 #14,379
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 145 #22,139
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Wilbourns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whittington, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Whittington Derbyshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
5 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
2 Chesterfield 004 Chesterfield
3 Chesterfield 013 Chesterfield
4 Chesterfield 008 Chesterfield
5 Chesterfield 003 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilbourn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Wilbourn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilbourn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wilbourn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Wilbourn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wilbourn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wilbourn is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wilbourn is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wilbourn falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wilbourn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wilbourn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wilbourn

The surname Wilbourn is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is considered a locational surname, derived from the place name "Wilbrahams" or "Wilbraham" found in the counties of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The name is thought to come from an Old English personal name "Wilburh" combined with the Old English word "ham," meaning homestead or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wilburgeham." This reference suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Wilborne, Wilburn, and Wilburne, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Richard de Wilburgham, who served as the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1256. Another early record comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain John Wylburn is mentioned.

During the 16th century, the Wilbourn surname gained prominence with the birth of Ralph Wilbourn (1520-1603), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. His descendants continued to play an influential role in the region for several generations.

In the 17th century, Samuel Wilbourn (1619-1696) was a prominent English clergyman and author, known for his work "A Discourse Concerning the Certainty of Divine Revelation" published in 1688.

Another notable figure was Sir John Wilbourn (1673-1743), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession and later became a Member of Parliament for Portsmouth.

In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Charles Wilbourn (1826-1897), a renowned English artist and illustrator whose works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious art galleries.

While the surname Wilbourn is not as common as some other English names, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergymen, naval officers, and artists.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wilbourn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilbourn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Derbyshire leads with 41 Wilbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.51x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 41 29.51x
Hertfordshire 16 26.15x
Kent 10 3.30x
Middlesex 8 0.90x
Leicestershire 6 6.10x
Essex 4 2.28x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.67x
Cheshire 1 0.51x
Huntingdonshire 1 5.68x
Lincolnshire 1 0.70x
Northamptonshire 1 1.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hasland in Derbyshire leads with 18 Wilbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1276.60x.

Place Total Index
Hasland 18 1276.60x
Great Amwell 13 2131.15x
Deptford St Paul 10 42.81x
Shirland 9 865.38x
Whittington 7 364.58x
Chrishall 4 2352.94x
Brimington 3 283.02x
Evington 3 2142.86x
Syston 3 326.09x
Ware 3 171.43x
Ashford 2 285.71x
Hackney London 2 4.02x
Sutton In Ashfield 2 76.92x
Tupton 2 476.19x
Alfreton 1 23.70x
Betchton 1 400.00x
Cromford 1 303.03x
Kensington London 1 2.03x
Kettering 1 29.59x
Spittlegate 1 51.02x
St George Hanover 1 8.64x
Teddington London 1 49.75x
Westminster St 1 30.58x
Woodstone 1 357.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wilbourn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
James 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Martha 1
Miriam 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Wilbourn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
William 6
George 5
Henry 5
James 3
Joseph 3
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Chas.A. 1
David 1
Denny 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Isiac 1
Luther 1
Mark 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Wilbourn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilbourn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Wilbourn surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilbourn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Wilbourn a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Wilbourn surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "spring or stream by a willow tree" in Old English.

What does the Wilbourn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wilbourn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.