2000
#15,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Winget
A surname derived from the Old English words "wyn" (joy) and "geat" (gate), potentially referring to a joyful gatekeeper or someone living near a gate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,024 Americans carry the last name Winget. That puts it at #15,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,345 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winget 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
2.0K
1 in 169,345
Census rank
#15,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,765 bearers of the surname Winget in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winget, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winget
The surname Winget has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "wenge," meaning "slope" or "hill," which later evolved into various forms, including Wingate and Winjet. This suggests the name may have originally been used to identify individuals residing near sloping terrains.
Geographically, the surname was likely associated with the northern regions of England, where settlements were more prevalent on undulating landscapes. Historical records show variations in the spelling of the name, with Wingate being a common archaic form. Over time, regional accents and dialectal differences led to the evolution of the name into Winget.
The surname Winget appears in historical documents such as court records, land grants, and parish registers beginning in the 14th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is William de Wingate, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, indicating the surname's presence in documented English history.
In subsequent centuries, the Winget family continued to be recorded in various historical accounts. An example is John Winget, born in 1565, who held a minor position of prominence in the Lincolnshire parish records. Another notable individual is Robert Winget, a farmer from Staffordshire, whose name appears in 17th-century tax records from 1641.
By the 18th century, Winget families began to migrate, including Henry Winget, born in 1723, who relocated to the American colonies. His migration points to the surname's expansion beyond England during periods of colonization and exploration. Records from this period also indicate the continued use of alternate spellings such as Wingate and Wingeat.
In the 19th century, Olive Winget, born in 1811, became notable for her charitable contributions to the local community in Derbyshire. The Winget surname also appears in 19th-century military records, including Thomas Winget, born in 1834, who served in the British Army during the Crimean War, demonstrating the name's presence in broader historical contexts.
Ultimately, the surname Winget has evolved through centuries, evidenced by various notable individuals and historical records. Its meaning traces back to geographical features and its presence remains documented through medieval, early modern, and colonial history, reflecting the wide migratory patterns and socio-cultural contributions of those bearing the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winget
Among Census respondents with the surname Winget, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Winget 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 Winget surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,605
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 61
- Two or more races3.4% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winget
Winget 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
#16,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,699
+12 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 958 places
2020
#15,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,765
+66 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,844 | 1,687 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,802 | 1,699 | 0.58 | +12 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 958 places |
| 2020 | #15,885 | 1,765 | 0.59 | +66 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 917 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 Winget 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 | #16,802 | #15,885 | 5.5% |
| Count | 1,699 | 1,765 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.59 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winget bearers went from 1,699 to 1,765 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 917 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,802 to #15,885.
FAQ
Winget surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winget?
Name Census estimates that about 2,024 living Americans carry the surname Winget. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,345 residents.
How common is Winget?
Winget ranks #15,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,765 people with the surname Winget. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,024), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Winget.
Has Winget become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winget went from 1,699 recorded bearers to 1,765. That is an increase of 66 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,802 to #15,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Winget?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winget, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Winget in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winget appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Winget (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 Winget mean?
A surname derived from the Old English words "wyn" (joy) and "geat" (gate), potentially referring to a joyful gatekeeper or someone living near a gate. 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 Winget (0.59 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 share the surname Winget?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.