2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winniford
Win or friends' ford; possibly related to victory at a river crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Winniford. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winniford 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Winniford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winniford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winniford
The surname Winniford likely originates from England, with its earliest roots traceable to the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. The name appears to be toponymic, meaning it is derived from a geographical location. Specifically, Winniford may have originated from a place name, possibly influenced by ancient locality names such as "Wynyard" or "Winford," which can be found in various parts of England. The name itself is composed of Old English elements: "Wyn," meaning joy or pleasure, and "ford," meaning a shallow crossing place in a river or stream.
Earliest recorded references to variations of the surname Winniford can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and legal documents. One such reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like compilation of landowners and taxpayers in England, wherein a John de Wynneforde is mentioned. This indicates that the name was well-established by the late 13th century and suggests a location-based origin.
In the 14th century, documents from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield give us an appearance of Thomas de Wynford, recorded in 1314. This record further substantiates the surname’s medieval English origins and helps in visualizing its geographical spread within the country through known manorial records.
A notable individual carrying a variation of this surname was Richard Winford, a merchant who lived in the mid-16th century. Born around 1520 and dying in 1585, Winford was active in Bristol, a major commercial hub of England, which demonstrates the social mobility and geographical dispersion of the surname.
The name also finds mention in marriage records in the 17th century. Elizabeth Winniford appears in parish registers in London, marrying Thomas Field in 1648. These records are essential in tracking the diffusion of the surname through urban migrations during the growth of the Protestant Reformation in England.
Another significant reference is Captain James Winniford, who served in the British Royal Navy in the early 18th century. Born in 1693 and passing away in 1759, his career illustrates the ways individuals bearing the surname participated in the maritime ventures of the British Empire.
Finally, historical records from the American colonies indicate the presence of William Winniford, who emigrated to Virginia in 1635. His descendents played a role in early American colonial history, ventures, and military activities. William's journey underscores the spread of the surname beyond English borders and into new colonial territories.
Overall, the surname Winniford boasts a rich and varied history with roots deeply embedded in the medieval landscape of England. It reflects a narrative of geographical origin, dispersal, and adaptation spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winniford
Among Census respondents with the surname Winniford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Winniford 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 Winniford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winniford
Winniford 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,664 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,664 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,006 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 Winniford 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 | #150,452 | #149,446 | 0.7% |
| Count | 109 | 110 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winniford bearers went from 109 to 110 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #149,446.
FAQ
Winniford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winniford?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Winniford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Winniford?
Winniford ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Winniford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Winniford.
Has Winniford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winniford went from 109 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Winniford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winniford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Winniford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winniford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Winniford (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 Winniford mean?
Win or friends' ford; possibly related to victory at a river crossing. 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 Winniford (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 share the surname Winniford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.