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

Winley, 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 Winley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winley in America

Winley is the 89753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winley surname appeared 206 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 Winley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winley 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 Winley

The surname Winley is believed to have its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. The name likely derives from Old English roots, specifically from the words "wynn" meaning "meadow" or "pasture" and "lēah" meaning "clearing" or "woodland." Therefore, Winley can be interpreted as "the meadow or clearing."

The earliest recorded references of the surname Winley are somewhat scarce, but the name does make sporadic appearances in medieval documents. One of the older forms of the surname can be found in the 12th century records from the county of Yorkshire. It may also have variations such as Wynley or Winlea, depending on regional spelling conventions of the time.

In the historical context, the surname appears in some notable English records. A mention of the name Winley can be found in the Subsidy Rolls, which were tax records collected by the English crown starting from the 13th century. This not only identifies the name but also its presence in specific localities.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Winley is Thomas Winley, who is documented around the year 1380 in Yorkshire. Another historical figure is John Winley, born in 1452, who held land in Lancashire and was recorded in local manorial rolls.

During the English Civil War, a Richard Winley, born in 1610, is noted to have sided with the Parliamentarians. His participation in key battles is briefly mentioned in war diaries, particularly focusing on the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.

Margaret Winley, born in 1735 in Devonshire, gained local fame as an herbalist. Her herbal remedies and extensive knowledge of local flora were documented in a compendium of folk medicine that circulated in the 18th century.

Another notable individual is William Winley, born in 1791 in Cornwall. He became a known figure in maritime trade and was instrumental in several trans-Atlantic voyages during the early 19th century, contributing to the burgeoning trading routes between England and the New World.

The surname continued to be present in various public records, reflecting a modest but consistent presence throughout England. The legacy of the surname Winley lies in its rich etymological roots and the historical tapestry woven by the lives of those who bore the name over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winley

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

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

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

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