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

Windless, 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 Windless surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Windless in America

Windless is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Windless surname appeared 149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Windless.

We can also compare 2010 data for Windless 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 Windless

The surname Windless is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The earliest known derivations of the surname appear to be from the Old English words "wind" meaning wind and "leas" meaning free, which could connote a geographic feature related to a breezy, open area or an empty, airy place. Another potential etymological root could be the Middle English word "windel," which refers to a winding or twisting path, suggesting that the name may have originally been used to describe someone who lived near or on a winding road.

The earliest historical references to the surname Windless can be traced back to various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest appearances is found in a 1273 record in the Hundred Rolls, where a William Windelesse is mentioned in the county of Norfolk. This suggests that the name had some presence in Eastern England during that period. Another possible early record is found in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, where a Richard Windelus is noted, indicating the presence of the name in the West Midlands as well.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Windless is Sir Edward Windless, born in 1503 and deceased in 1572, who was a minor knight in the court of King Henry VIII. His service was chiefly documented during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Another historical figure is Margaret Windless, a woman accused of witchcraft during the Essex witch trials in 1585, though she was ultimately acquitted.

During the 17th century, the name appeared in colonial records. Thomas Windless, born in 1624, emigrated to the New World and settled in Massachusetts in 1650. His descendants played a modest role in the early colonial governance of the area. Another notable individual is Captain John Windless, born in 1655, who served as a naval officer during the Second Anglo-Dutch War and was noted for his involvement in several naval skirmishes.

Into the 18th century, Windless continued to be found in historical documents. Jane Windless, born in 1742, was a notable socialite in the court of King George III, acclaimed for her wit and beauty. Lastly, a relatively prominent member of the abolitionist movement, Samuel Windless, born in 1768 and deceased in 1821, contributed to various anti-slavery tracts and was involved in the British movement to end the transatlantic slave trade.

These examples trace the evolution and the historical presence of the surname Windless across different regions and centuries, illustrating its continuity and the varied roles its bearers have played in history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Windless

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

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

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

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