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

Winchell, 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 Winchell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winchell in America

Winchell is the 7195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winchell surname appeared 4,644 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Winchell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winchell 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 Winchell

The surname Winchell is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "wincel," meaning "corner" or "nook." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived in a corner or remote area.

The name first appeared in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Winchel."

In the 13th century, the name was commonly found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire, suggesting that it may have originated in that region of southern England.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Winchell include Walter Winchell (1897-1972), an American newspaper and radio commentator known for his influential gossip column. Another was Paul Winchell (1922-2005), an American ventriloquist and voice actor best known for creating the character Winnie the Pooh.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Wynchell," "Wincell," and "Wynchill." During this period, it was also associated with several place names, such as Winchell in Buckinghamshire and Winchelsea in Sussex.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Winchell, who lived in Oxfordshire in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Winchell (c. 1400-1470), a Member of Parliament for Berkshire during the Wars of the Roses.

In the 16th century, the name was found in various parts of England, including in the records of the parish of St. Mary's in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

As the centuries passed, the Winchell surname continued to spread across England and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by those who emigrated from the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winchell

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

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 Winchell 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 Winchell 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 Winchell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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