2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Windey
A surname likely derived from the Old English "windig," meaning windy or exposed to wind.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Windey. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Windey 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.
Bearers in the US
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Windey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Windey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Windey
The surname Windey likely originates from England, appearing around the medieval period, roughly the 12th to 14th centuries. Derived from geographical features, the name is thought to be an evolution of an Old English word or words related to wind or a windy area. It's possible that the surname originally described someone living near a particularly windy hill or ridge.
One example of historical records featuring an early version of this name is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a Richard Wynde. Over time, as spelling was not standardized, variations such as Windey, Wyndey, and Wynde emerged. These variations depend heavily on regional dialects and the literacy of clerks recording information.
A significant historical reference involves an individual named John Windey, who appears in tax rolls from Yorkshire during the 14th century. These records confirm the presence and gradual spread of the surname from its geographical origins.
The Windey surname is also found in later manuscripts and legal documents. Notably, an Isabelle Windey can be traced to parish registers from the early 16th century in Norfolk, England. Parish registers became a crucial source of genealogical information after the Church of England mandated their use in 1538.
Another notable person is Thomas Windey, a 17th-century merchant from London who was involved in trade with the colonies. His activities are documented in various mercantile ledgers, showing the adaptation and persistence of the surname in urban areas.
In the 19th century, James Windey emigrated to the United States, settling in New York in 1825. His descendants participated in the American Civil War, with records of military service providing additional data points on the name's lineage and expansion beyond England.
A later figure, Margaret Windey, born in 1854, was known for her charitable works in Nottingham. Her contributions to local welfare improvements were chronicled in local newspapers, further evidencing the name's continued socio-economic presence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Windey
Among Census respondents with the surname Windey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Windey 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 Windey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.9% · 94
- Black or African American2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Windey
Windey 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-11 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,649 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-6 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 21,649 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.9%) | Up 1,892 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 Windey 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 | #158,432 | #156,540 | 1.2% |
| Count | 102 | 96 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Windey bearers went from 102 to 96 (-5.9% change). The surname moved up 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,540.
FAQ
Windey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Windey?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Windey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Windey?
Windey ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 96 people with the surname Windey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Windey.
Has Windey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Windey went from 102 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Windey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Windey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Windey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Windey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.9%), Black (2.1%). 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 Windey (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 Windey mean?
A surname likely derived from the Old English "windig," meaning windy or exposed to wind. 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 Windey (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Windey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.