2000
#12,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Winfree
A surname of English origin, possibly referring to someone who was freed from forced labor or servitude.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,594 Americans carry the last name Winfree. That puts it at #12,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winfree 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
2.6K
1 in 132,134
Census rank
#12,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,262 bearers of the surname Winfree in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfree, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winfree
The surname Winfree originated in England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "Wine" meaning friend or protector, and "freo" meaning free or noble. The name translates to "Wine's free man" or "free friend", suggesting it was initially given to someone who was trusted and had attained a level of freedom or status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Winfree surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Winefrid, an early spelling variation of Winfree.
In the 13th century, the surname Winfree can be found in various historical records from the county of Cheshire, England. One notable bearer was William Winfree, a landowner mentioned in the Cheshire Pipe Rolls of 1260.
The surname Winfree also has connections to several place names in England. For instance, the village of Winsford in Cheshire was formerly known as Winefredis-ford, potentially named after an early bearer of the Winfree surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Winfree was John Winfree, born in 1560 in Cheshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a justice of the peace in the county.
Another notable figure was Thomas Winfree (1633-1718), an English Quaker who emigrated to Virginia in the late 17th century. He was among the earliest settlers in the colony and played a role in establishing Quaker communities in the region.
In the 18th century, William Winfree (1720-1795) was a prominent figure in colonial Virginia. He served as a justice of the peace and was actively involved in local politics and civic affairs.
During the American Revolutionary War, Reverend John Winfree (1737-1820) was a notable Baptist preacher and a supporter of the Patriot cause. He served as a chaplain in the Continental Army and played a role in the struggle for religious freedom.
In the 19th century, Edward Winfree (1818-1892) was a successful businessman and landowner in Mississippi. He was actively involved in the cotton industry and owned several plantations in the state.
Throughout its history, the surname Winfree has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, religious figures, military personnel, and businessmen. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winfree
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfree, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Winfree 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 Winfree surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.6% · 1,597
- Black or African American19.8% · 447
- Two or more races4.7% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winfree
Winfree 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
#12,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,387
+114 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 384 places
2020
#12,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,262
-125 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,502 | 2,273 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,886 | 2,387 | 0.81 | +114 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 384 places |
| 2020 | #12,983 | 2,262 | 0.76 | -125 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 97 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 Winfree 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 | #12,886 | #12,983 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,387 | 2,262 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.76 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winfree bearers went from 2,387 to 2,262 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,886 to #12,983.
FAQ
Winfree surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winfree?
Name Census estimates that about 2,594 living Americans carry the surname Winfree. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,134 residents.
How common is Winfree?
Winfree ranks #12,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,262 people with the surname Winfree. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Winfree.
Has Winfree become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winfree went from 2,387 recorded bearers to 2,262. That is a decrease of 125 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,886 to #12,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Winfree?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfree, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Winfree in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.6% (1,597 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winfree appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.6%), Black (19.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Winfree (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 Winfree mean?
A surname of English origin, possibly referring to someone who was freed from forced labor or servitude. 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 Winfree (0.76 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 Winfree?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.