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Wilburn Family History

Wilburn Surname 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: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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 1891 there were 253 Wilburn families living in Yorkshire. This was about 56% of all the recorded Wilburn's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Wilburn families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Wilburn ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wilburn. 43% of Wilburn men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Wilburn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilburn were Retired and Shorthand Typist.

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    43%
  • Farmer
    29%
  • Retired
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%
  • Shorthand Typist
    3%

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 UK 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 UK, 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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wilburn ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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