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

Winiger, 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 Winiger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winiger in America

Winiger is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winiger surname appeared 239 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 Winiger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winiger 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 Winiger

The surname Winiger has its origins in Switzerland, specifically in the German-speaking regions. It is believed to have emerged around the late Middle Ages, roughly between the 14th and 15th centuries. The name is likely derived from the occupation or characteristics related to wine production, as the root word "Win" in German relates to "wine". This connection suggests that the name initially described individuals or families involved in viticulture, a prominent industry in the Swiss cantons during this era.

The Winiger surname appears in historical records dating back to the early 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in church documents from the Canton of Zurich in 1524, where a Heinrich Winiger is mentioned as a landowner and grape grower. Historical manuscripts and local records from Swiss municipalities such as Schaffhausen and Basel also reference the Winiger family, indicating their presence and active participation in communal affairs and local economies centered around wine.

By the 17th century, the name Winiger had spread to other parts of the German-speaking world, including southern Germany and Austria. Variants of the name, such as Winninger or Winiger, appear in baptismal and marriage records of Austrian church registries from the 1600s. Notably, a Johann Winninger, born in 1695, became a renowned winemaker in the Vienna region.

Prominent individuals bearing the Winiger surname include Johannes Winiger, a merchant from Zurich born in 1583, who became an influential figure in the wine trade between Switzerland and France. Another significant figure is Hans Jacob Winiger, born in 1721, who played a crucial role in the development of viticulture techniques in the Swiss Jura.

In art and culture, the name is represented by Anna Winiger, a Swiss poet born in 1886, known for her lyrical works reflecting the Swiss countryside and agrarian life. Her poetry collections from the early 20th century are valuable literary contributions that highlight societal changes in rural Switzerland.

Historical burial records from 19th-century Zurich mention Karl Winiger, an agricultural scientist born in 1820, who published early studies on the impact of climate on grape yields in Swiss vineyards. His works had a lasting impact on agricultural practices in the region.

The name Winiger has thus traversed centuries, encapsulating the rich history of wine-making and viticulture in Swiss and Germanic regions. Its bearers have significantly influenced their local cultures and economies, leaving a lasting legacy embedded in historical records and family lineages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winiger

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

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

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

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