In 1688, Willingboro was incorporated under English Colonial Law as the constabulary of Wellingborough, making it one of the original townships in Burlington County. It included present day Beverly, Edgewater Park, and Delanco townships as well as Rancocas Village.
Wellingborough was a rather quiet and sparsely populated place during the early 18th century. The most prominent part-time inhabitant of the town during this era was Sir William Franklin. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin, and the last British Royal Governor of New Jersey (a position for which his father disowned him). He established a summer mansion and deer park in the town which was located at the present day intersection of John F. Kennedy Way and Beverly Rancocas Road.
Wellingborough was mostly farm land until in 1954 the agents of William Levitt & Sons bought much of the land in (what was then called) Wellingborough. By 1956, Levitt had acquired 90 percent of the township. Later that year the boundaries of the township were changed by the New Jersey State legislature. The current boundaries are from the Westhampton Township line on the east to Route 130 on the west, and from the Burlington Township line on the north to the Rancocas Creek on the south. The same act that changed the boundaries of the town gave the village of Rancocas to Westampton Township.
Willingboro was the third 'Levittown' project completed by William Levit, the first was on Long Island and the second in Eastern Pennsylvania. By 1959, Wellingborough's population was approximately 10,000 people, most living in the new Levit homes. That year a referendum vote to change the name was held and the township was renamed Levittown by an 80 vote majority. In 1963 a similar referendum changed the name to its current one, Willingboro.
This information was derived from public domain text taken from http://www.willingboro.org/twphist.htm