2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winikoff
A variant of Weinekoff, meaning "vinegar maker" or "wine merchant" in German and Yiddish origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Winikoff. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winikoff 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Winikoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winikoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winikoff
The surname Winikoff is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in regions that were part of the Russian Empire and Poland. Etymologically, the name Winikoff might derive from Slavic roots, potentially linked to the occupation of a winemaker or wine merchant. The root "win" suggests a connection to wine, which was a significant trade commodity in the region.
The earliest known references to the surname can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries in documents from areas that are now Russia and Poland. Historical records from these periods, such as birth registries, and marriage licenses, help pinpoint the existence and spread of the name. Notable documents from this period often include a mix of Cyrillic and Latin alphabet spellings, reflecting the diverse linguistic influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Winikoff appears in the travel logs of a merchant in 1783. These logs are preserved in the archives of Kraków, where they detail the wine trade across the European expanse. Another historical reference can be found in a 1807 tax registry from a small town near Minsk, documenting a merchant named Alexei Winikoff.
Maria Winikoff, born in 1821 in what is now western Belarus, was another early bearer of the surname. Maria is known for her extensive correspondences with the nobility, contributing to cultural and economic exchanges of the time. Her letters are archived in the National Library of Belarus, providing a valuable historical source.
In the mid-19th century, records from Odessa reveal the presence of a Jacob Winikoff, born in 1845, who became a prominent figure in the local wine industry. His entrepreneurship and expansion into European markets were noteworthy, and his name appears repeatedly in business directories and trade agreements from the era.
Another notable figure was Isadore Winikoff, a political activist in Vilnius, born in 1872. He was known for his efforts in the labor movement and contributions to socialist publications of the time. His writings, found in early 20th-century Lithuanian political archives, offer insights into his influence and the sociopolitical climate of the region.
The surname appeared in varied spellings depending on the linguistic context, with "Vinokov" and "Winikow" being among the more frequent variations. These variants can be found in old census data, church records, and synagogues, reflecting the Jewish communities where the name was prevalent.
Throughout history, the surname Winikoff has been connected to individuals who played significant roles in their local communities, from economic contributions to political activism. The historical journey of the name, from its roots in Eastern European trade to its appearance in old records, provides a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winikoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Winikoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Winikoff 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 Winikoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winikoff
Winikoff 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 190 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Down 190 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,020 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 Winikoff 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 | #146,201 | #147,221 | -0.7% |
| Count | 113 | 113 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winikoff bearers went from 113 to 113 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,221.
FAQ
Winikoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winikoff?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Winikoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Winikoff?
Winikoff ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Winikoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Winikoff.
Has Winikoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winikoff went from 113 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Winikoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winikoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Winikoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winikoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (2.7%), Black (1.8%). 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 Winikoff (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 Winikoff mean?
A variant of Weinekoff, meaning "vinegar maker" or "wine merchant" in German and Yiddish origins. 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 Winikoff (0.04 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 are called Winikoff?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Winikoff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.