Find out how popular the last name Winans is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Winans.

Winans, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Winans surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winans in America

Winans is the 8266th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winans surname appeared 4,010 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Winans.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winans to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Winans

The surname WINANS originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "winen," which means "to complain" or "to lament." The name likely referred to someone with a whining or complaining nature.

In the early 17th century, records show the name appearing in various spellings, such as Winan, Wynans, and Wienans, in the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in the church records of Essen, where a Johann Winans is mentioned in 1612.

The WINANS surname is not found in the renowned Domesday Book, which was a survey of land and property conducted in England in 1086. This suggests that the name did not have a significant presence in England during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the WINANS name was Hans Winans, born in 1623 in Remscheid, Germany. He was a blacksmith by trade and is recorded as having immigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) in 1654.

Another notable figure with the WINANS surname was Jacob Winans, born in 1720 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a captain in the Continental Army under General George Washington.

In the 19th century, Ross Winans, born in 1796 in New Jersey, made significant contributions to the development of railways in the United States. He designed and patented several innovations in locomotive technology, including the Winans Camel, a unique steam locomotive design.

Benjamin B. Winans, born in 1835 in Ohio, was a renowned architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Baltimore, Maryland, including the Peabody Institute and the American Building.

Walter Winans, born in 1852 in Russia, was a British sculptor, marksman, and writer. He is best known for his works depicting hunting and shooting scenes, as well as his exceptional skill as a competitive marksman, winning several Olympic medals in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winans

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Winans.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Winans was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Winans has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Winans was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Winans, please contact us.

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