Wilber
Masculine · “bright will”
Wilber is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 6,891 boys against 11 girls since 1880.
Wilber is Wilbur with one letter changed, and the Germanic behind it is bright will — a compound about determination that shines, which is a better meaning than most.
How old is the name Wilber?
Wilber was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Wilber alive today was born around 1933, making them about 92 years old. About 2,600 people named Wilber are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Wilber most popular?
Wilber peaked in 1882, reaching #317 nationally. Today it ranks #3949, 3,632 places below that high. See the whole 1882 chart.
Where it comes from
From willa beraht to Wilber
The story of Wilber
Wilbur and Wilber were English surnames that became American given names in the nineteenth century. Wilbur Wright, who with his brother made the first controlled powered flight in 1903, is the best-known bearer and gave the name a lasting association. Wilber appears in the registers as the minority spelling and peaked around 1900.
Meaningscholars disagree
bright will, resolute
Usually read from the Germanic willa, 'will' or 'desire', and beraht, 'bright'. The surname route runs through Wildbore, an occupational or descriptive byname meaning 'wild boar', which is a quite different reading. Both feed the modern name and neither can be ruled out.
How the name formed
- willa beraht
- Wilbur
- Wilber
Related forms: Wilbur · Wilburn · Wilber
Pronouncing Wilber
WIL-bur
Two syllables, stress on the first. Wilber and Wilbur are said identically.
Nicknames for Wilber
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1924160 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #317reached in 1882
- Change vs 2022
- −28.9%27 in 2025, from 38
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Wilber in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Wilbur in English — spelling variant
- Wilburn in English — related form
- Wilber in Spanish — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Maryland.
Wilbers among us
people named Wilber are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 63,262 born in 2025 was named Wilber
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Wilber sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Wilber is headed
Wilber should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Wilber beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Wilber in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The bright-will meaning is transparent and unusually good.
- Will is available as a completely ordinary and current short form.
- One of the two men who invented powered flight carries the name.
- Wilbur is the standard spelling and will be assumed.
- A talking pig in a much-loved children's book carries the name.
- It is strongly period-coded to the turn of the last century.
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What they receive
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Wilber
Masculine · #3949 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Wilbers are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,600 people named Wilber are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Wilber in 2025?
- Wilber ranks #3949 among US boy names in 2025, with 27 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Wilber?
- About 1 in every 63,262 US boys born in 2025 was named Wilber — 27 in all.
- Will my child share the name Wilber with classmates?
- Wilber will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Wilber
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Stewart#3949 · Tillman#3949 · Ashley#3949 · Alfonzo#3949 · Blane#3949 · Brayton#3949 · Omega#3949 · Rufus#3949
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Wilber? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Wilber and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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