2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Winquest
A surname possibly derived from a place name incorporating Old English elements referring to victory or conquest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Winquest. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winquest 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Winquest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winquest
The surname Winquest has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically Sweden, where it first appeared in the late Middle Ages. Derived from two Old Norse elements, "Vin" meaning 'meadow' or 'pasture', and "kestra" signifying 'quest' or 'search', the name essentially implies 'meadow quest' or 'one who searches the meadow'. The rural landscapes of Sweden, particularly the provinces of Västergötland and Östergötland, often saw the use of surnames stemming from natural elements and occupations.
Winquest appears in several old records, indicating its historical presence. The earliest documented reference dates back to the early 15th century in a Swedish land registry, where a "Lars Winquest" is mentioned as a landowner in 1423. This period witnessed a burgeoning of new surnames as the Swedish peasantry adopted fixed family names.
One notable individual with the surname was Johan Winquest (1532-1594), a prominent merchant in the city of Uppsala. His participation in local trade and civic duties are well-documented in the municipal records. Dirk Winquest, born in 1610 in Stockholm, was another influential figure; he gained recognition for his contributions to cartography and was appointed as a royal geographer by King Gustavus Adolphus in the 1640s.
Another significant bearer of the surname was Britta Winquest, who lived during the 18th century. Born in 1721, Britta became one of the first female schoolteachers in the region of Småland, making notable advancements in education during her tenure until her death in 1779.
In the 19th century, Anders Winquest (1834-1897) emerged as an influential figure in Swedish literature. His work as a poet and author left a lasting impact, and he was known for capturing the essence of rural life in Sweden through his writings.
The surname continued to make its mark into the early 20th century with the academic achievements of Erik Winquest (1887-1945), a renowned botanist whose research contributed significantly to the understanding of Scandinavian flora. His studies were extensively published and respected in scientific communities.
Through each century, the surname Winquest has been borne by individuals who made noteworthy contributions to their respective fields. The surname's evolution and sustained presence in historical records underscore its enduring legacy in Swedish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winquest
Among Census respondents with the surname Winquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Winquest 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 Winquest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 8
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winquest
Winquest 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-13 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,447 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 21,447 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,944 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 Winquest 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 | #149,395 | #152,339 | -2.0% |
| Count | 110 | 106 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winquest bearers went from 110 to 106 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,339.
FAQ
Winquest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winquest?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Winquest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Winquest?
Winquest ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Winquest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Winquest.
Has Winquest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winquest went from 110 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Winquest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Winquest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winquest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Winquest (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 Winquest mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name incorporating Old English elements referring to victory or conquest. 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 Winquest (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 Americans have the surname Winquest?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.