2000
#23,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,024
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Win
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or referring to a victory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,666 Americans carry the last name Win. That puts it at #6,582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,493 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Win surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Win with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 60,493
Census rank
#6,582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,941 bearers of the surname Win in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Win, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Win
The surname WIN originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "winnan," which means "to strive or labor." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for their hard work or perseverance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a person named Winus in Leicestershire. Other early spellings of the name include Wynne, Winne, and Wynn.
In the 13th century, there are references to a family named Win living in the village of Winscombe in Somerset. The name may have been derived from this place name, which means "the valley of the Win family."
A notable figure in history with the surname Win was John Win, an English clergyman who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1480 to 1486.
Another prominent individual was Richard Win, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was involved in the wool trade and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1568.
In the 17th century, there was a family named Win who owned land in the village of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire. One member of this family, William Win, was a Member of Parliament for Winchcombe in the late 1600s.
During the 18th century, a man named Thomas Win gained recognition as a successful playwright and poet. He was born in 1721 and wrote several popular plays that were performed in London theaters.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Win was Emily Win, a British author and social reformer. She was born in 1832 and wrote several books advocating for women's rights and education.
While the surname Win is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a long and interesting history dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a name that reflects the hard-working and persevering nature of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Win
Among Census respondents with the surname Win, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Win bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Win surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.8% · 4,583
- White3.5% · 171
- Two or more races1.6% · 81
- Black or African American1.3% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Win
Win appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,820
+1,796 bearers (+175.4%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 12,028 places
2020
#6,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,941
+2,121 bearers (+75.2%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 4,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,237 | 1,024 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,209 | 2,820 | 0.96 | +1,796 bearers (+175.4%) | Up 12,028 places |
| 2020 | #6,582 | 4,941 | 1.65 | +2,121 bearers (+75.2%) | Up 4,627 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Win surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,209 | #6,582 | 41.3% |
| Count | 2,820 | 4,941 | 75.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 1.65 | 72.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Win bearers went from 2,820 to 4,941 (+75.2% change). The surname moved up 4,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,209 to #6,582.
FAQ
Win surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Win?
Name Census estimates that about 5,666 living Americans carry the surname Win. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,493 residents.
How common is Win?
Win ranks #6,582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,941 people with the surname Win. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Win.
Has Win become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Win went from 2,820 recorded bearers to 4,941. That is an increase of 2,121 (+75.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,209 to #6,582.
What does the Census say about the background of Win?
Among Census respondents with the surname Win, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Win in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (4,583 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Win appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.8%), White (3.5%), Two or More Races (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Win (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Win mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or referring to a victory. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Win (1.65 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Win?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.