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Wilbur

Quick answerThe given name 'Wilbur' is derived from the Old English words 'will' (meaning "desire" or "will") and 'burh' (meaning "fortress" or "stronghold"), making it a name that signifies strength and resilience.

English · Boy · 2 syllables

W
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#4,040
TrendStable
Peak year1918
Syllables2
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish
Letters6
Numerology4 Chaldean 2
Global rank#432

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Wilbur

The given name 'Wilbur' is derived from the Old English words 'will' (meaning "desire" or "will") and 'burh' (meaning "fortress" or "stronghold"), making it a name that signifies strength and resilience.

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name and Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The given name 'Wilbur' is derived from the Old English words 'will' (meaning "desire" or "will") and 'burh' (meaning "fortress" or "stronghold"), making it a name that signifies strength and resilience. The name Wilbur has its roots in English culture and has been used in various forms throughout history, including as a surname, and is also associated with the character Wilbur in E.B. White's children's novel 'Charlotte's Web'.

Wilbur currently ranks #4,040 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1918.

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Wilfred
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"The given name 'Wilfred' is derived from the Old English words 'will' (meaning "desire") and 'frid' (meaning "peace"), making it…"

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"The given name 'Wilfried' is derived from the Old High German words 'wil' meaning 'will' or 'desire' and 'frid' meaning…"

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"The given name 'Wilfride' is of Old English origin, meaning "peaceful will" or "desiring peace," derived from the elements *wil*…"

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Wilfrida
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"Wilfrida derives from the Old English elements "wil" (desire, will) and "frið" (peace), meaning "desired peace" or "willing peace." The…"

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Walburga
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"Walburga derives from Old High German elements "wald" (forest/power) and "burg" (fortress/protection), meaning "ruler of the fortress" or "powerful protector."…"

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Wilbert
Unisex Germanic

"Wilbert derives from the Germanic elements "wil" (will, desire) and "berht" (bright, famous), meaning "resolute and bright" or "famous for…"

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Wilfrid
Unisex Old English

"The name Wilfrid derives from Old English elements "wil" (will/desire) and "frið" (peace), meaning "desirer of peace" or "peaceful will."…"

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Willbert
Boy Germanic

"Willbert is a Germanic compound name derived from "wil" (will, desire) and "berht" (bright, famous), meaning "bright-willed" or "famous in…"

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Welbert
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"Welbert is a Germanic name combining "wel" (well) and "bert" (bright), meaning "well-bright" or "bright and good." The name has…"

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Walford
Boy Old English

"Walford derives from Old English elements "wal" (wall or rampart) and "ford" (ford or river crossing), meaning "ford by a…"

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Wielfried
Boy Germanic

"Wielfried is a Germanic name composed of "wil" (will, desire) and "fried" (peace), meaning "one who desires peace" or "peaceful…"

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Wilbor
Boy Germanic

"Wilbor is a variant spelling of Wilbur, derived from Old Germanic elements "wil" (desire/will) and "borg" (fortress/protection), meaning "resolute protector"…"

Global rank #3,551 View name
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