The Winchester surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,480 people carried this name — #3,413 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,200 people counted. That is up 3% from 10,199 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Winchester surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Winchester» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Winchester’.

An early record he cites: Ralph de Wincestre, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 816 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

52 families named Winchester, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 281 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 17
Maryland 8
Vermont 7
Connecticut 7
North Carolina 5
New Hampshire 3
South Carolina 3
Maine 1
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 269 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Winchester in American newspapers,
1915–1920.

Newspaper page from The Morgan City Daily Review carrying the name Winchester
The Morgan City Daily Review 1918-09-24
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Winchester
The Sun 1915-05-06
Newspaper page from The St. Mary Banner carrying the name Winchester
The St. Mary Banner 1920-10-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,562 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Winchester in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

12,350 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Winchester. The most, 2,326, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,254
Queensland 3,355
South Australia 1,903
Victoria 1,744
ACT (Canberra) 472
Western Australia 358
Tasmania 193
Northern Territory 59

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Winchester.

Who carried it

People named Winchester,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elhanan Winchester
    Elhanan Winchester 1751–1797 · theologian
  • James Winchester
    James Winchester 1752–1826 · politician
  • John de Winchester d. 1460 · Catholic priest
  • Edith White Winchester d. 1933
  • John Winchester d. 1781
  • Elizabeth Winchester d. 1678

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Winchester,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States829 records

829 records of the Winchester name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 327
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 169
  • Other U.S. records 333
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joe P. Winchester

    Born 1923 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Croft, South Carolina; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Lakeland Memorial Park & Mausoleum, Monroe, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William J. Winchester

    Born 1930; from Lawrence County, Alabama. U.S. Army, heavy weapons infantryman; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Winchester

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the St. George from Liverpool, aged 17; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 829 records for Winchester in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada247 records

247 records of the Winchester name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 229
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Winchester

    Buried in 1973 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Stewart Winchester

    Died 1964 in Sandy Cove, Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Murray McKay Winchester

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 247 records for Winchester in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia245 records

245 records of the Winchester name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 114
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 43
  • Other Australian records 88
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Sarah Winchester

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maria, sailing from Kingston in 1849. Native of Armagh. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852. Married 1852 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 39.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos C. Winchester

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Australasian, aged 24; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Peter D. Winchester

    Builder of Marlo, Victoria; died 1974.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 245 records for Winchester in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Winchester name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 16
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 2
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Marjorie Phyllis Winchester

    Died 2000, aged 86; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Winchester

    Buried in 1897 at Tararu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 92.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bertie Henry Winchester

    Died 1955; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Winchester in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Winchester name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 5
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Winchester

    Born 1884 at Upper Inchberry; engineer. Died 1917. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Andrew Winchester

    Died 1952, aged 83; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Winchester

    Born 1876 at Grantown-on-Spey; commission agent. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Winchester in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Winchester name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alexander Winchester

    Died 1957 in Rotterdam, aged 47.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Patricia Winchester

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1901 in Oakland.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Winchester

    Married in 1722 in Rotterdam; born in Hull.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Winchester in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Winchester.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Winchester is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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