Winslet
A feminine name probably derived from an Old English surname referring to someone from a meadow.
Name Census estimates that about 170 living Americans carry the first name Winslet. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Winslet today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Winslet births was 2023 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Winslet. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Winslet with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
170
~ 1 in 2,016,202 Americans
Peak year
2023
33 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,582
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Winslet: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Winslet 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 101 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
Winslet 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 Winslet 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 Winslet
The given name Winslet is a relatively modern English name that emerged in the late 19th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "win" meaning "friend" and "slaed" meaning "valley" or "meadow." Thus, the name could be interpreted to mean "friend of the valley" or "meadow friend."
Some linguists suggest that the name may also have roots in the Old English word "wincel," which referred to a type of winding stream or brook. This connection would give the name a more literal meaning of "little winding stream."
The earliest recorded use of the name Winslet dates back to the late 1800s in England. It is believed to have originated as a surname before becoming a given name in its own right.
One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Winslet was John Winslet (1856-1931), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name gained wider recognition with the rise of British actress Kate Winslet, born in 1975. Winslet's career has spanned several decades, and she has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 2008 film "The Reader."
Another notable Winslet was Anne Winslet (1911-2001), a British artist and painter who was known for her landscape and portrait works.
In the world of literature, the name Winslet appeared with the character of Nora Winslet in the 1949 novel "The Brides of Aberdar" by Edith Pargeter.
Moving back in time, there are records of a William Winslet (c. 1700-1781), an English clockmaker and watchmaker who lived and worked in London during the 18th century.
While the name Winslet may not have a long and storied history compared to some ancient names, it has established itself as a distinctive and recognizable given name, particularly in the English-speaking world.
People
Winslet + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Winslet 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
Winslet: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Winslet?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 170 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Winslet 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 2,016,202 US residents.
Is Winslet a common name?
We classify Winslet as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 171 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Winslet most popular?
The single biggest year for Winslet was 2023, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Winslet is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Winslet in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Winslet a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Winslet in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Winslet still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Winslet in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Winslet can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Winslet?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.