2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wilbar
A surname combining willow and bar, possibly referring to a person living or working near willows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Wilbar. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilbar surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Wilbar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.9%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilbar
The surname Wilbar is believed to have originated in England, likely during the Medieval period around the 12th to 14th centuries. The name is thought to have regional roots in areas such as Lancashire and Yorkshire, where variations and early spellings were common. The surname may derive from the Old English words "Wil," meaning "will" or "desire," combined with "bere," meaning "barley" or "farm." It suggests an occupational origin related to barley farming or brewing.
Historical references to the name Wilbar are sparse but can be traced to a few ancient documents and regional records. Early instances of the name appear in local tax registers and parish records, with varying spellings that include Wilber, Wilbore, and Wilbyr. One of the earliest recorded instances is a mention in the Lancashire Court Rolls around 1327, where a certain John Wilber is listed as a landowner, indicating the family’s status and longevity in the area.
In the 14th century, a man named Edward Wilbar was documented in the Manorial Records of Yorkshire. Born in 1332 and recorded as a farmer, Edward Wilbar’s records provide insight into the lifestyle and livelihoods of the bearers of this surname during medieval times. His lineage continued to hold significance in the region through subsequent generations.
In the late 16th century, Thomas Wilbar of Lancashire appears in several ecclesiastical records, highlighting the family's involvement in local church affairs. Born in 1575, Thomas was noted for his contributions to the church and local governance, reflecting a shift from agricultural to more civic roles over time.
By the 17th century, the name found its way into American colonial records. John Wilbar, born in 1620, emigrated during the English Civil War and settled in Massachusetts. His lineage played a role in the early colonial settlements, with descendants involved in local politics and trade.
In the 18th century, Captain James Wilbar, born in 1734, became noted for his involvement in the merchant navy, providing transport and supplies during the American Revolutionary War. His seafaring adventures and the contributions of the Wilbar family to American history symbolize the broader migration and adaptation of the surname across the Atlantic.
Finally, in the 19th century, Martha Wilbar, born in 1801 in Lancashire, became one of the few women documented for her philanthropic efforts in the industrial era. Her work with orphanages and local charities in Manchester reflects the continuing legacy of the Wilbar family through varied social contributions.
The surname Wilbar, while not extensively documented in famous historical events, marks its bearers' steady and evolving presence from medieval England to colonial America, symbolizing the adaptive and enduring nature of family lineages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilbar
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.9%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilbar bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wilbar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino13.9% · 15
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilbar
Wilbar appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,281 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 16,281 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,540 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wilbar surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #149,395 | #150,935 | -1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 108 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilbar bearers went from 110 to 108 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #150,935.
FAQ
Wilbar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilbar?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Wilbar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Wilbar?
Wilbar ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Wilbar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wilbar.
Has Wilbar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilbar went from 110 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilbar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.9%) and Black (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wilbar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilbar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Hispanic (13.9%), Black (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wilbar (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wilbar mean?
A surname combining willow and bar, possibly referring to a person living or working near willows. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wilbar (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Wilbar?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Wilbar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.