Find out how popular the last name Wilberger is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wilberger.

Wilberger, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wilberger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilberger in America

Wilberger is the 81772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilberger surname appeared 231 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wilberger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilberger to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wilberger

The surname Wilberger has its origins in Germany, arising during the medieval period. The name likely emerged around the 12th to 14th centuries when surnames were becoming more common in Europe. It is believed to have originated from the regions of Bavaria or Saxony where Germanic naming conventions were prevalent.

Wilberger is derived from the Old High German elements "wil," meaning will or desire, and "berg" or "berger," meaning mountain or hill. The combination suggests a meaning along the lines of "one who lives by the willful hill" or "desirous of the mountain." This form is consistent with the nature-oriented surnames common in medieval German territories.

Historical references to the surname Wilberger include mentions in manorial records and tax registers in Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances can be found in a Bavarian tax register from 1378, noting a family with the name in the town of Augsburg.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Wilberger was Hans Wilberger, born in 1412 and noted in local records as a merchant based in Nuremberg. Hans Wilberger contributed to the local economy and was known for his trade between Germany and the Low Countries during the early 15th century.

Another prominent individual was Johannes Wilberger, a clergyman born in 1560 in the region of Swabia. Johannes became well-respected within the Lutheran Church and was influential during the Reformation period in Germany, providing theological insights and commentary until his death in 1625.

In the 17th century, Elisabeth Wilberger, born in 1625, gained recognition as a midwife and healer in Bavaria. She was known for her knowledge of herbal remedies and assistance in childbirth, maintaining a well-regarded presence in her community until her death in 1682.

The name also appears in the context of emigration during the wave of German migration to the New World in the 18th century. One such emigrant was Friedrich Wilberger, who was born in 1742 in the Rhineland-Palatinate and later settled in Pennsylvania in 1771. Friedrich became a farmer and is recorded in township records until his passing in 1805.

Another distinguished bearer was Wilhelm Wilberger, born in 1801. He left Germany for political reasons following the upheavals of the 1848 Revolutions. Wilhelm immigrated to Brazil, where he contributed to the development of agricultural colonies and lived until 1867.

These examples illustrate the deep historical roots and geographical spread of the surname Wilberger, reflecting a heritage tied to both the specific meaning of its German origins and the lives of those who carried it through history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilberger

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wilberger.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wilberger was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wilberger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wilberger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wilberger, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!