NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilbur

Derived from a place name meaning "willow brook" or "well stream," likely referring to a person's residence.

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Wilbur surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilbur is 127 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 461.1%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1999

127 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilbur had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 92 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wilbur surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilbur surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilbur 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
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1891 historical 54 #29,849
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 113 #25,489
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Wilburs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 014 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 010 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 011 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 009 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilbur

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilbur

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wilbur, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Wilbur surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wilbur household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Wilbur is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wilbur 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

Wilbur falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wilbur is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wilbur

The surname Wilbur originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English personal name Wilburh, which is composed of the elements "wil" meaning desire and "burh" meaning fortress or fortification. This name likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified location or stronghold.

In its earliest forms, the name was recorded as Wilburch, Wilbure, and Wilbor in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Wilbur de Wichcomb, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196.

The Wilbur surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Wilburgus and Wilburgham, referring to place names in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk respectively. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

Renowned historical figures with the Wilbur surname include John Wilbur (1627-1702), an early settler in Rhode Island and a prominent Quaker leader, and John Wilbur (1774-1856), a United States Representative from New Hampshire.

Other notable Wilburs throughout history include: - Asa Wilbur (1742-1825), an American manufacturer and inventor known for developing a machine for cutting screws. - William Wilbur (1828-1905), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Wilbur Chocolate Company. - Ray Lyman Wilbur (1875-1949), an American academic and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Interior under President Calvin Coolidge. - Richard Wilbur (1921-2017), an American poet and literary translator who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice.

While the Wilbur surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wilbur families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilbur 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. Leicestershire leads with 10 Wilburs recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.36x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 10 51.36x
Middlesex 5 2.85x
Nottinghamshire 3 12.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hinckley in Leicestershire leads with 9 Wilburs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1956.52x.

Place Total Index
Hinckley 9 1956.52x
Hammersmith London 5 115.47x
Mansfield Woodhouse 3 1875.00x
Burbage 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Anne 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Lillian 1
Martha 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
William 2
Arthur 1
James 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Wilbur households.

FAQ

Wilbur surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilbur surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Wilbur surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilbur surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Wilbur a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Wilbur surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "willow brook" or "well stream," likely referring to a person's residence.

What does the Wilbur map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wilbur 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.