2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winnings
A surname derived from the English word "winnings" or meaning gains or profits.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Winnings. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winnings 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Winnings in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winnings, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winnings
The surname Winnings is believed to have its origins in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be locational in origin, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has since undergone a name change. It likely originates from regions in the Midlands or the North of England, areas known for a variety of small hamlets and towns with unique names. Variations and similar spellings such as Wynning and Winnynges were recorded in England throughout the centuries.
The etymology of Winnings can be related to Old English and Old Norse. The term likely incorporates the Old English word wine, meaning friend or protector, combined with an Old Norse element ing, denoting a meadow or pasture. This suggests that the original bearers of the surname might have lived near a meadow or pasture belonging to a person named Wine or someone seen as a protector or friend.
Historical references to the surname Winnings are scarce, as it was not among the most common names. However, the name does appear in early manuscripts. For instance, an early mention of the name appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1219. The mention of one John de Wynnyng was noted in records related to land holding disputes in Yorkshire. Similar entries in parish records from the 13th and 14th centuries often list variations like William de Wyneing, reflecting the common practice of phonetically spelling names during that period.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Sir Robert Winnings, born in 1462 and deceased in 1523. Known for his military service during the Wars of the Roses, Sir Robert gained recognition and was granted lands in Northern England. Another notable person was Thomas Winnings, born circa 1640, who played a significant role in the early development of trade routes in the expanding British Empire. He worked for the East India Company and was known for his pioneering travels to India.
The surname also appears in historical records from the 17th century involving the migration to the New World. In 1685, Anne Winnings, born in 1665, was documented as one of the early settlers in the Virginia Colony. She and her family were part of the wave of English emigrants seeking new opportunities in America.
In the realm of literature, Eleanor Winnings, born in 1781, made her mark as a poet and author in the early 19th century. She contributed to the Romantic literary movement in England, with several of her works published in prominent literary journals of the time. Her poignant expressions of nature and human emotion garnered considerable acclaim.
Another figure of historical significance was Jonathan Winnings, born in 1810 and deceased in 1887. He was a notable industrialist during the Industrial Revolution. His advancements in manufacturing processes and machinery earned him recognition, particularly in the textile industries of Northern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winnings
Among Census respondents with the surname Winnings, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Winnings 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 Winnings surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winnings
Winnings 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,192 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,674 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 2,192 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 4,674 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 Winnings 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 | #152,628 | #147,954 | 3.1% |
| Count | 107 | 112 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winnings bearers went from 107 to 112 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 4,674 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,954.
FAQ
Winnings surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winnings?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Winnings. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Winnings?
Winnings ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Winnings. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Winnings.
Has Winnings become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winnings went from 107 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Winnings?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winnings, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Winnings in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winnings appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (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 Winnings (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 Winnings mean?
A surname derived from the English word "winnings" or meaning gains or profits. 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 Winnings (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 common is the surname Winnings?
Find out how many people have the last name Winnings on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.