Wilder is an English and German surname, sometimes used as a given name, meaning "untamed" or "wild", a wild, free, or natural state or existence, also passionately eager or enthusiastic.

People with the given name

* Wilder D. Baker (1890–1975), United States Navy admiral *

Wilder Dwight Bancroft Wilder Dwight Bancroft (October 1, 1867 – February 7, 1953) was an American physical chemist. Biography Born in Middletown, Rhode Island, he was the grandson of historian and statesman George Bancroft and great-grandson of Aaron Bancroft. ...

(1867–1953), American chemist * Wilder Calderón, Peruvian politician * Wilder Cartagena (born 1994), Peruvian footballer * Wilder W. Crane Jr. (1928–1985), American politician *

Wilder D. Foster Wilder De Ayr Foster (January 8, 1819 – September 20, 1873) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Foster was born in Orange County, New York where he attended the common schools. He moved to Michigan in 1837, and engaged ...

(1819–1873), American politician * Wilder Guisao (born 1991), Colombian footballer *

Wilder W. Hartley Wilder W. Hartley (April 4, 1901 – August 17, 1970) was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from the Harbor and South Los Angeles districts from 1939 to 1943. Biography Hartley was born in Reno, Nevada, on April 4, 1901, and was brought ...

(1901–1970), American politician *

Wilder Hobson Wilder Hobson (February 18, 1906 – May 1, 1964) was an American writer and editor for ''Time'' (1930s-1940s), ''Fortune'' (1940s), ''Harper's Bazaar'' (1950s), and ''Newsweek'' (1960s) magazines. He was also a competent musician (trombone), a ...

(1906–1964), American writer and musician * Wilder Medina (born 1981), Colombian footballer * Wilder Metcalf (1855–1935), United States Army general and politician *

Wilder Penfield Wilder Graves Penfield (January 26, 1891April 5, 1976) was an American Canadians, American-Physicians in Canada, Canadian neurosurgeon. He expanded brain surgery's methods and techniques, including mapping the functions of various regions of th ...

(1891–1976), American-Canadian neurosurgeon * Wilder Smith (1835–1891), American minister and writer *

Wilder Weir Wilder Weir (born September 23, 1983) is a Canadian television host. Weir was born in Montreal and is the first of two children born to retired professional ice hockey player Wally Weir. Weir earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in film ...

(born 1983), Canadian television host * Wilder Zabala (born 1982), Bolivian footballer

People with the surname

The arts

Acting and filmmaking

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

(1906–2002), Austrian-born American film director *

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

(1933–2016), American actor *

James Wilder (actor) James Wilder (born August 5, 1968) is an American film and television actor. Early life Wilder was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Sausalito, California. The son of a French mother and an Italian father, Wilder performed as a fire eati ...

(born 1968), American film and television actor *

W. Lee Wilder William Lee Wilder (August 22, 1904 – February 14, 1982) was an Austrian-American screenwriter, film producer and director. He was the brother of the film director Billy Wilder and father of television comedy writer and producer Myles Wilder ...

(1904–1982), Austrian-born American screenwriter, film producer and director

Literature

Charlotte Frances Wilder Charlotte Frances Wilder (December 12, 1839 - December 3, 1916) was an American writer. She was one of the most widely known writers of Kansas, and the author of many religious books, including for juvenile audiences, and a contributor to church p ...

(1839–1916), American writer *

Cherry Wilder Cherry Barbara Grimm (née Lockett, 3 September 1930 – 14 March 2002), better known by the pseudonym Cherry Wilder, was a New Zealand science fiction and fantasy writer. Biography Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Lockett attended Nelson Colleg ...

, pseudonym of New Zealand writer Cherry Barbara Grimm (1930–2002) *

Effie Wilder Effie Leland Wilder (August 28, 1909 – July 19, 2007) was an American homemaker and writer. The first book she wrote was published when she was 85 years old, it was titled ''Out to Pasture''. Personal life She was born on August 28, 1909, in ...

(1909–2007), American writer *

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the ''Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

(1867–1957), American writer * Louise Beebe Wilder (1878–1938), American gardening writer *

Rose Wilder Lane Rose Wilder Lane (December 5, 1886 – October 30, 1968) was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, political theorist and daughter of American writer Laura Ingalls Wilder. Along with two other female writers, Ayn Rand and Isabel Pa ...

(1886–1968), American writer *

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' — a ...

(1897–1975), American writer

Music

Ace Wilder Alice Kristina Ingrid Gernandt (born 23 July 1982) better known by her stage name Ace Wilder, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She first received public attention while taking part in Melodifestivalen 2014. Early life Wilder was born on July 2 ...

(born 1982), Swedish singer *

Alan Wilder Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and former member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. Since his departure from the band, the musical project called Recoil b ...

(born 1959), British electronic musician *

Alec Wilder Alexander Lafayette Chew Wilder (February 16, 1907 – December 24, 1980) was an American composer. Biography Wilder was born in Rochester, New York, United States, to a prominent family; the Wilder Building downtown (at the "Four Corners") ...

(1907–1980), American composer and songwriter *

Matthew Wilder Matthew Wilder ( Weiner; January 24, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. In early 1984, his single "Break My Stride" hit No. 2 on the ''Cash Box'' chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

(born 1953), American musician *

Webb Wilder John Webb McMurry (born May 19, 1954), known as Webb Wilder, is an American country, rock & roll singer, guitarist and actor. Early life McMurry was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He started playing guitar at the age of 12 and was playing ...

(born 1954), American singer-songwriter

Military and politics

Abel Carter Wilder Abel Carter Wilder (March 18, 1828 – December 22, 1875) was a U.S. Representative from Kansas. Biography Born in Mendon, Massachusetts, Wilder completed preparatory studies and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He moved to Rochester, New Yor ...

(1828–1875), American businessman and politician *

Douglas Wilder Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state since the Reconstruction ...

(born 1931), American politician, Governor of Virginia * Harvey A. Wilder (1907-1968), American farmer and politician * John Shelton Wilder (1921–2010), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee *

John T. Wilder John Thomas Wilder (January 31, 1830 – October 20, 1917) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, noted principally for capturing the critical mountain pass of Hoover's Gap during the Tullahoma Campaign in Central Tenne ...

(1830–1917), American Civil War general * Wilber Elliott Wilder (1857–1952), American brigadier general

Sports

Bobby Wilder Robert S. Wilder (born August 1, 1964) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach of the Old Dominion Monarchs football team. He was only the second coach all-time in the program's history and the first since footba ...

(born 1964), head coach of the Old Dominion Monarchs football team *

Chris Wilder Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough ...

(born 1967), English football player and manager *

Dash Wilder Daniel Marshall Wheeler (born May 17, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Cash Wheeler. Wheeler is also known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Dash Wilder. ...

(born 1987), American professional wrestler *

Deontay Wilder Deontay Leshun Wilder (; born October 22, 1985) is an American professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020, making 10 successful defenses. By winning the title, Wilder became the first American world heavyweight ch ...

(born 1985), American heavyweight boxer * George Wilder (cricketer) (1876–1948), English cricketer *

James Wilder Sr. James Curtis Wilder Sr. (born May 12, 1958) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Li ...

(born 1958), American football running back *

James Wilder Jr. James Curtis Wilder Jr. (born April 14, 1992) is an American professional football running back for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played three seasons for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, winning the Grey Cup i ...

(born 1992), American football running back *

Michael Wilder Michael Wilder (born August 17, 1962) is an American chess grandmaster and a J.D graduate of the University of Michigan. FIDE awarded him the grandmaster title in 1988. He won the 1988 U.S. Chess Championship. He also tied for third in the 1987 ...

(born 1962), American chess champion

Others

Burt Green Wilder Burt Green Wilder (August 11, 1841 – January 21, 1925) was an American comparative anatomist. Biography Burton Green Wilder was born in Boston to David and Celia Colton Wilder. He graduated at Harvard (Lawrence Scientific School, 1862; medica ...

(1841–1925), American comparative anatomist *

Christopher Wilder Christopher Bernard Wilder (March 13, 1945 – April 13, 1984), also known as the Beauty Queen Killer, was an Australian-American serial killer who abducted and raped at least twelve young women and girls, torturing some, and killing at ...

(1944–1984), American serial rapist and murderer * Frances Farmer Wilder, American radio executive *

George Wilder (criminal) George Wilder is a prison escaper and New Zealand folk hero. Wilder escaped from prison three times in the 1960s, and his escapades captured the attention of the public. First escape Wilder was in New Plymouth Prison on 17 May 1962. Part way thro ...

(born 1962), prison escaper and New Zealand folk hero * Gertrude B. Wilder (1874–1955), American clubwoman *

Harris Hawthorne Wilder Harris Hawthorne Wilder (April 7, 1864 – February 27, 1928) was an American zoologist and anatomist. He was professor of zoology at Smith College in Massachusetts, where for 36 years until his death. He was the first American to study dermatogly ...

(1864–1928), American zoologist *

Inez Whipple Wilder Inez Whipple Wilder (May 19, 1871 – April 29, 1929), born Inez Luanne Whipple, was an American herpetologist and anatomist, affiliated with Smith College from 1902 until her death. She made notable contributions to the study of fingerprints an ...

(1871–1929), American zoologist *

John R. Wilder John Randolph Wilder (March 18, 1816 – November 1, 1879) was an American businessman based in Savannah, Georgia, where he was a prominent civic leader, cotton merchant and planter. His shipping and cotton exporting houses were regarded as some ...

(1816–1879), American businessman * J. Welles Wilder, Jr. (1935–2021), American mechanical engineer, best known for his work in technical analysis *

Lynn Wilder Lynn K. Wilder (born 1952) is a Christian author and former Brigham Young University (BYU) professor. She became well known for discussing how she left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the 2011 video-documentary ''Unve ...

(born 1952), American author and professor *

Nicholas Wilder Nicholas Walter George Wilder (1937May 12, 1989) was an American art dealer and owner of an eponymous contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s. He later closed his gallery, returned to his native New York, and developed ...

(1937–1989), American art dealer and gallery owner *

Raymond Louis Wilder Raymond Louis Wilder (3 November 1896 in Palmer, Massachusetts – 7 July 1982 in Santa Barbara, California) was an American mathematician, who specialized in topology and gradually acquired philosophical and anthropological interests. Life Wilde ...

(1896–1982), American mathematician *

Robert Wilder Robert Wilder (born 1960) is an American businessman, environmental activist, and academic. Wilder is known for his environmental activism and lobbying, and his ability to combine capitalist ventures with environmentally friendly policies. Wild ...

(born 1960), American businessman, creator of WilderHill Clean Energy Index *

Russell Morse Wilder Russell Morse Wilder Sr. (November 24, 1885 – December 16, 1959) was an American physician, diabetologist, epileptologist, and medical researcher, known at one of the originators of the ketogenic ("classic keto") diet as a therapy for both epi ...

(1885–1959), American physician and medical researcher

Fictional Characters

* Alex Wilder, a fictional character appearing in

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. * Harry Wilder, a fictional character in the ''Case Closed'' * Wilder (Transformers), a fictional character * Zelos Wilder, a fictional character in the video game ''Tales of Symphonia''

References

{{given name, type=both English-language masculine given names Surnames of English origin