2000
#4,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.42
Rare Last name
Winfrey
Friend's peace, derived from the Old English elements "wine" meaning friend and "frið" meaning peace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,364 Americans carry the last name Winfrey. That puts it at #5,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winfrey 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
7.4K
1 in 46,545
Census rank
#5,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,422 bearers of the surname Winfrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winfrey
The surname Winfrey is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wine" meaning friend and "fri" meaning free, peaceful, or secure. This combination suggests that the name Winfrey was originally bestowed upon someone who was considered a trustworthy and loyal companion or protector.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Winfrey can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical record lists a person named Winefrid, which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation of the surname Winfrey.
During the Middle Ages, the name Winfrey was primarily concentrated in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset in the southwest region of England. It is believed that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly a location called Winfrey or Winfrith, although historical references to such places are scarce.
In the 16th century, the Winfrey surname appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable bearer of the name was John Winfrey, a merchant and landowner from Dorset who lived in the mid-1500s. Another early example is William Winfrey, born in 1598 in Somerset, who was a member of the local gentry.
As the centuries passed, the Winfrey surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. One such person was Sir Richard Winfrey (1720-1792), a successful businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Great Marlow.
Another notable Winfrey was Samuel Winfrey (1736-1825), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Clerkenwell, London. His innovative designs and contributions to horology earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
In the literary realm, the name Winfrey is associated with James Winfrey (1791-1865), an English poet and clergyman who published several volumes of poetry and religious works during his lifetime.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Winfrey in America can be traced back to Edward Winfrey, who arrived in Virginia from England in the mid-17th century and became a prominent planter and landowner.
While the surname Winfrey may not be as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with notable bearers contributing to various aspects of society, from politics and business to literature and craftsmanship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winfrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Winfrey 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 Winfrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.7% · 3,191
- Black or African American39.9% · 2,563
- Two or more races5.6% · 359
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 233
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winfrey
Winfrey 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
#5,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,740
+222 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 236 places
2020
#5,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,422
-318 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,951 | 6,518 | 2.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,187 | 6,740 | 2.28 | +222 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 236 places |
| 2020 | #5,244 | 6,422 | 2.15 | -318 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 57 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 Winfrey 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 | #5,187 | #5,244 | -1.1% |
| Count | 6,740 | 6,422 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.15 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winfrey bearers went from 6,740 to 6,422 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,187 to #5,244.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Winfrey
FAQ
Winfrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winfrey?
Name Census estimates that about 7,364 living Americans carry the surname Winfrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,545 residents.
How common is Winfrey?
Winfrey ranks #5,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,422 people with the surname Winfrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,364), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Winfrey.
Has Winfrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winfrey went from 6,740 recorded bearers to 6,422. That is a decrease of 318 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,187 to #5,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Winfrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Winfrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.7% (3,191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winfrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.7%), Black (39.9%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Winfrey (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 Winfrey mean?
Friend's peace, derived from the Old English elements "wine" meaning friend and "frið" meaning peace. 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 Winfrey (2.15 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 people have the surname Winfrey?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.