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Wilburn Family History

Wilburn Name Meaning

English (Yorkshire): habitational name from Welbourn (Lincolnshire) either of two places called Welburn (both in North Yorkshire) and perhaps Welborne (Norfolk). The placenames derive from Old English wella ‘well spring stream’ + burna ‘spring stream’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hilburn, Kilburn, Milburn, Winburn, Milbury, Wilberg, Colburn

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wilburn family from?

You can see how Wilburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wilburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wilburn families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 8 Wilburn families living in Arkansas. This was about 13% of all the recorded Wilburn's in USA. Arkansas and 1 other state had the highest population of Wilburn families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wilburn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wilburn ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wilburn. 25% of Wilburn men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Wilburn women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilburn were Farm Laborer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Wilburn | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Truck Driver
    4%
  • Farm Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    11%
  • Housewife
    11%
  • Cook
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wilburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Wilburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wilburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wilburn

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wilburn. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Wilburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Wilburn. For the veterans among your Wilburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wilburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wilburn family history

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What is the average Wilburn lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Wilburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Wilburn in 1941 was 31, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wilburn

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wilburn family tree

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