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

Winstead, 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 Winstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winstead in America

Winstead is the 4054th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winstead surname appeared 8,756 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Winstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winstead 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 Winstead

The surname Winstead originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wine" meaning friend and "stede" meaning place, essentially translating to "friend's place" or "friendly place."

One of the earliest known references to the Winstead name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Winestead in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as Wynestede and Winestede, indicating that the spelling was not yet standardized. Some of the earliest documented individuals with the surname include John de Wynestede, who lived in Berkshire in 1279, and Thomas Wynestede, a landowner in Somerset in 1327.

During the medieval period, the Winstead name was often associated with specific places or manors. For instance, the Winstead family is believed to have originated from the village of Winstead in Norfolk, which was recorded as Wynestede in the Domesday Book.

One notable figure in history was Sir John Winstead (1557-1619), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1608-1609. Another prominent individual was Robert Winstead (1628-1688), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the Winstead name started to appear in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. During this time, the spelling became more standardized as Winstead.

Among the historical figures bearing this surname was William Winstead (1686-1753), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall from 1722 to 1727. Additionally, there was John Winstead (1745-1811), an English engraver and cartographer known for his intricate maps and charts.

As the centuries progressed, the Winstead surname continued to be found throughout England, with some families eventually migrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winstead

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

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

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

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