2000
#7,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,368
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Wilborn
Derived from a place name meaning "well-born," indicating a person of noble or distinguished birth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,087 Americans carry the last name Wilborn. That puts it at #7,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,378 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilborn 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
5.1K
1 in 67,378
Census rank
#7,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,436 bearers of the surname Wilborn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilborn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.2%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilborn
The surname Wilborn is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "will" meaning "desire" or "will" and "burn" meaning "stream" or "brook." It is thought that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or brook that was desired or wanted by the local population.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Wilborn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Wilburne is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Willeburn, Willeburne, and Wylleborne, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time period. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Norman French language brought to England after the Norman Conquest.
The Wilborn surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Wilborne in Lincolnshire and Wilburton in Cambridgeshire. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname and may have contributed to its development.
Notable individuals with the Wilborn surname throughout history include Sir John Wilborn (c.1580-1647), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Wilborn (1604-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Other individuals of note include Richard Wilborn (1630-1703), a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, USA, and Mary Wilborn (1775-1852), an American pioneer and one of the first settlers in what is now Kentucky.
In the late 19th century, John Wilborn (1865-1942), an English playwright and novelist, gained recognition for his works depicting life in rural England.
While the Wilborn surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the distinctive meaning of "desired stream" or "desired brook."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilborn
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilborn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.2%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilborn 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 Wilborn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.2% · 2,050
- White43.4% · 1,926
- Two or more races4.7% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 197
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilborn
Wilborn 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
#7,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,752
+384 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 14 places
2020
#7,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,436
-316 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 206 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,061 | 4,368 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,047 | 4,752 | 1.61 | +384 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 14 places |
| 2020 | #7,253 | 4,436 | 1.48 | -316 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 206 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 Wilborn 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 | #7,047 | #7,253 | -2.9% |
| Count | 4,752 | 4,436 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.48 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilborn bearers went from 4,752 to 4,436 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 206 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,047 to #7,253.
FAQ
Wilborn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilborn?
Name Census estimates that about 5,087 living Americans carry the surname Wilborn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,378 residents.
How common is Wilborn?
Wilborn ranks #7,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,436 people with the surname Wilborn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,087), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Wilborn.
Has Wilborn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilborn went from 4,752 recorded bearers to 4,436. That is a decrease of 316 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,047 to #7,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilborn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilborn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.2%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wilborn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.2% (2,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilborn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.2%), White (43.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Wilborn (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 Wilborn mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "well-born," indicating a person of noble or distinguished birth. 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 Wilborn (1.48 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 Wilborn?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Wilborn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.