Wilmur
An invented name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Wilmur. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wilmur today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wilmur births was 1916 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wilmur. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wilmur. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#3,889
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Wilmur: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilmur by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wilmur during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wilmur
The name Wilmur originates from the ancient Germanic language, dating back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Old High German words "willio" meaning "will" or "desire," and "mari" meaning "famous." Thus, the name Wilmur can be interpreted as "famous will" or "renowned desire."
In the early Middle Ages, the name was primarily found in the regions of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was commonly used among the nobility and aristocratic families of the time. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Willimarus," which appeared in various medieval manuscripts and chronicles.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Wilmur was Saint Wilmur of Trier, a Frankish monk who lived in the 7th century AD. He is venerated as the patron saint of brewers and is celebrated in the Catholic Church on July 29th.
In the 9th century, a Benedictine monk named Wilmur of Regensburg gained fame for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. He was a prominent figure in the Carolingian Renaissance and is believed to have influenced the educational reforms of the time.
During the 11th century, Wilmur the Red was a renowned warrior and military commander who fought in the First Crusade. He was known for his bravery and leadership in battles against the Seljuk Turks in the Levant.
In the 13th century, Wilmur of Saxony was a notable German architect and engineer. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several iconic Gothic cathedrals, including the Cologne Cathedral and the Strasbourg Cathedral.
In the 16th century, Wilmur von Buchau was a German humanist scholar and poet. He was part of the intellectual circle that included Erasmus and Thomas More, and his works helped popularize the Renaissance ideals of humanism and classical learning.
While the name Wilmur has its roots in ancient Germanic culture, it has been adopted and used in various forms across different regions and time periods throughout history. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name in modern times, particularly in English-speaking countries.
People
Wilmur + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wilmur as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wilmur: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wilmur?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wilmur going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Wilmur a common name?
We classify Wilmur as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wilmur most popular?
The single biggest year for Wilmur was 1916, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wilmur is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wilmur in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wilmur a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wilmur in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wilmur still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wilmur in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wilmur can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Wilmur?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.