Wilberforce Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Wilberforce last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Wilberforce last name
Meaning of the Wilberforce last name: wilburh's ford. Wilberforce is an English surname from Wilberfoss in East Yorkshire, a ford named after a woman called Wilburh. William Wilberforce of Hull led the campaign to abolish the slave trade, passed in 1807. His son Samuel Wilberforce was Bishop of Oxford. The last name is closely linked with Hull.
Arms associated with the Wilberforce name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Wilberforce name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Wilberforce family history
This is only a glimpse of the Wilberforce story. The full Wilberforce history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Wilberforce coat of arms. Get the full Wilberforce report.
Wilberforce name FAQ
What does the Wilberforce name mean?
Wilburh's ford. Common variants include Wilberfoss.
Where does the Wilberforce surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Wilberforce coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Wilberforce coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).