2000
#10,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Wilbert
Derived from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will, desire" and "beraht" meaning "bright, famous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,084 Americans carry the last name Wilbert. That puts it at #11,240 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilbert 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
3.1K
1 in 111,140
Census rank
#11,240
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,689 bearers of the surname Wilbert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11240th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilbert
The surname Wilbert originated in England during the 8th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wil" meaning desire or will, and "beorht" meaning bright or illustrious. The name was initially spelled as Wilbriht or Wilbrith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilbert can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Wilbrictus" in this historical record.
During the Middle Ages, the name Wilbert was primarily concentrated in the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire in southern England. Some variations of the spelling included Wilbricht, Wilbryght, and Wilbryth.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Wilbert de Charmenton (born around 1320) was a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his philanthropic contributions to the church.
Another individual of historical significance was Sir Wilbert Hastings (1460-1519), a knight and military commander who served under King Henry VII during the Wars of the Roses. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487, which solidified Henry VII's claim to the throne.
In the 16th century, the name Wilbert was associated with the village of Wilberton (now called Wilberton Priory) in Cambridgeshire. This place name likely derived from the surname Wilbert, indicating a connection between the name and a specific location.
During the 17th century, Wilbert Longstaffe (1599-1679) was a prominent English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of York and the Rector of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire.
Another notable figure was Wilbert Ridley (1694-1768), an English architect and surveyor who was renowned for his work on various churches and country houses in the Palladian style prevalent during that era.
In the 19th century, Wilbert Vere Awdry (1811-1889) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works and contributed to the Oxford Movement within the Church of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilbert
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilbert 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 Wilbert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.1% · 1,697
- Black or African American29.4% · 790
- Two or more races3.3% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilbert
Wilbert 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
#10,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,222
+372 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 349 places
2020
#11,240
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,689
-533 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 1,234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,355 | 2,850 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,006 | 3,222 | 1.09 | +372 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 349 places |
| 2020 | #11,240 | 2,689 | 0.90 | -533 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 1,234 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 Wilbert 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 | #10,006 | #11,240 | -12.3% |
| Count | 3,222 | 2,689 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 0.90 | -17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilbert bearers went from 3,222 to 2,689 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 1,234 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,006 to #11,240.
FAQ
Wilbert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilbert?
Name Census estimates that about 3,084 living Americans carry the surname Wilbert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,140 residents.
How common is Wilbert?
Wilbert ranks #11,240 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,689 people with the surname Wilbert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,084), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wilbert.
Has Wilbert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilbert went from 3,222 recorded bearers to 2,689. That is a decrease of 533 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,006 to #11,240.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilbert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Wilbert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (1,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilbert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.1%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Wilbert (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 Wilbert mean?
Derived from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will, desire" and "beraht" meaning "bright, famous." 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 Wilbert (0.90 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 many people have the last name Wilbert?
Find out how common the surname Wilbert is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.