A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME
Wilbur
goggled · leaden · mechanical
Origin & Meaning
AI-WrittenOriginates as an English surname derived from the Middle English nickname wildbor, meaning wild boar. It transitioned to a given name in nineteenth-century America, bolstered by prominent families and later by aviation celebrity.
Also answers toWill, Willie
Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025
SSA Data 1880 peak: 1,809 souls, A.D. 1918 2025
2025: 27 born, rising ↑
Estimated Age
66 yrs
Most Wilburs were born around 1947 — predates the ZIP code.
Peak Reign
1918
№97 that year
Generation
Boomer, 43%
then Silent 24% · Gen X 18%
Rarity
Top 2000 all-time
≈57K ever born · now rising
Full Name Rarity — 🔒 Full Nameprint — $4.99
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.
Wilbur grew up with
SSA Datahula hoops·S&H Green Stamps·black-and-white TV
Data vs. Humans
What the data says
SSA Data
SSA: Wilbur peaked in 1918.
Estimated average age: 66.
What people think
Opinion LedgerAwaiting human data — cast the first votes.
Wilbur sounds like someone born in —
Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates
AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30 Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, Wilbur sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.
Public Opinion Ledger
Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on Wilbur. Early ballots carry the most weight.
* Early ballots — fewer than 30 cast so far. The ledger settles at 30.
First Impressions
AI-WrittenCarries the immediate weight of early twentieth-century aviation and children's literature about farm livestock. The name brings to mind canvas drafting tables, patent offices, and heavy woolen cardigans. Today, the typical living Wilbur is in his late sixties. It sounds decidedly antique, though not entirely resigned to the past.
Field Notes
AI-WrittenField Note 01
Peak popularity landed squarely in 1918, when about two thousand boys received the name and pushed it into the national top one hundred.
Field Note 02
Nearly seven in ten living bearers belong to either the Silent Generation or the Baby Boomers.
Field Note 03
After decades in steep decline, the annual count has recently shown faint signs of upward movement.
Notable Wilburs
AI-WrittenWilbur Wrightaviation pioneer, b. 1867
Wilbur Millslongtime U.S. representative, b. 1909
Wilbur Smithnovelist, b. 1933
Ephemera — If Wilbur were a…
AI-WrittenCity
Dayton, Ohio
Color
Unbleached canvas
Artifact
Drafting compass
Tool
Spoke wrench
And what of your name?