Winchester
A masculine name of English origin meaning "town of the fort."
Name Census estimates that about 98 living Americans carry the first name Winchester. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Winchester today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Winchester births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Winchester. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Winchester. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
98
~ 1 in 3,497,493 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,797
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Winchester: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Winchester from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 50 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Winchester by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Winchester during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Winchester
Winchester is an English given name derived from the Old English words "wintan" meaning "to join" and "ceaster" meaning "a Roman town or camp." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, specifically referring to the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England, which was the ancient capital of Wessex and a significant town during the Saxon era.
The name Winchester is closely associated with Winchester Cathedral, one of the largest and most historically significant cathedrals in England. The cathedral's construction began in the 11th century and it has played a crucial role in the city's history and cultural identity. The name may have been adopted as a given name to honor the city's significance or to commemorate an individual's connection to the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Winchester can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals bearing the name, suggesting its usage during the Norman period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Winchester. One of the most renowned was Winchester Goold (1717-1770), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Sion College in London. Another notable figure was Winchester Rese (1814-1889), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia.
In the literary world, Winchester Peyton Randolph (1858-1938) was an American author and historian who wrote extensively about Virginia's history and culture. The name also appeared in the military, with Winchester Churchill (1838-1900) serving as a British Army officer and participating in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Additionally, Winchester Smith (1866-1945) was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Hyatt Roller Bearing Company and made significant contributions to the development of the modern roller bearing industry.
While the name Winchester has a rich historical background and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries, its usage as a given name has declined in modern times. However, its connection to the city of Winchester and its iconic cathedral remains a significant part of its legacy.
People
Winchester + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Winchester as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Winchester: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Winchester?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 98 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Winchester going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,497,493 US residents.
Is Winchester a common name?
We classify Winchester as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 99 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Winchester most popular?
The single biggest year for Winchester was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Winchester is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Winchester a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Winchester in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.