Where does “Wilberforce” come from?

Wilberforce is an Old English name derived from wil, meaning "desire" or "will," combined with a second element of uncertain origin and meaning.

Wilberforce (English): most common in Yorkshire

Definitions

  1. most common in Yorkshire

Ancestry of “Wilberforce”, step by step

Wilberforce traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English Wilburg

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishWilburg—
2Old EnglishburhAlternative form of burg; fortress; hill
3Old Englishburgcity; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,...
4Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

via Old English foss

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfossditch

Words derived from “Wilberforce”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic burgz →Every word from Old English burg →