Wilborn
Likely a spelling variant of an old place-based surname, probably tied to English local names such as Welborne or Welford.
The #7,047 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,972 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wilborn is most likely a variant spelling of a locational surname. The historical sources point toward English place-names such as Welborne and Welford, and one older suggestion connects the name with Old English elements for a personal name or place-name formation, though that specific breakdown is not secure. In practice, the surname seems to have arisen when someone was identified by a place they came from, and the spelling later shifted by region and family line.
History
The surname appears in English records in forms close to Welborn/Wilborn, especially in the east of England. Like many locational surnames, it likely spread as people moved away from their original village and were identified by their place of origin. In the United States, Wilborn is an established but relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often grouped Wilborn with Welborn and related forms, showing how fluid spelling could be before modern standardization.
From the historical record
“Welborn. A loc. n., Lines, Norf. Or A. S. Wilbeom (resolute bear); G. Wilborn ; a p.n. Welcher. See Wilscher Weldon. A loc. n., Northants Welford. A loc. n., Berks, dost., Northants, Warw.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)