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

Winkle, 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 Winkle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winkle in America

Winkle is the 8131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winkle surname appeared 4,077 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Winkle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winkle 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 Winkle

The surname "WINKLE" has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "wincel," meaning "a corner or nook," which may have referred to someone living in a secluded or tucked-away area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is written as "Wynckel." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem, a collection of inquisitions post mortem (inquiries into land holdings after a person's death) from the reign of Edward I. Here, it is spelled as "Wynkele."

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname "WINKLE" itself, but it does mention place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname. For instance, the village of "Winchendon" in Buckinghamshire is recorded, which could be related to the Old English word "wincel."

Notable historical figures who bore the surname "WINKLE" include:

1. John Winkle (c. 1490 - 1557), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London.
2. William Winkle (1594 - 1671), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Monks Risborough in Buckinghamshire.
3. Elizabeth Winkle (c. 1620 - 1688), an English Quaker minister and writer who was imprisoned for her religious beliefs.
4. Thomas Winkle (1733 - 1798), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a surveyor in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada).
5. Mary Winkle (1787 - 1856), an English author and poet who published several works, including "Poetical Trifles" in 1815.

While the surname "WINKLE" may have originated from a geographical location or description, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergymen, writers, soldiers, and surveyors, leaving an indelible mark on the history and cultural fabric of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winkle

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

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

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

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