The Winston surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 21,667 people carried this name — #1,662 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,600 people counted. That is up 6% from 20,537 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Winston surname

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: John de Wynston, Kent, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Winston and Winson.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 818 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

35 families named Winston, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 196 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 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

North Carolina 18
Virginia 7
New York 6
Connecticut 4

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

Winston in American newspapers,
1910–1928.

Newspaper page from New Britain Herald carrying the name Winston
New Britain Herald 1928-12-13
Newspaper page from The Canon City Record With Which Is Consolidated The Canon City Cannon carrying the name Winston
The Canon City Record With Which Is Consolidated The Canon City Cannon 1919-11-13
Newspaper page from Palestine Daily Herald carrying the name Winston
Palestine Daily Herald 1910-06-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,094 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Winston in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

142,857 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Winston. The most, 34,827, 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 Queensland, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 41,949
Queensland 37,390
Victoria 21,114
Western Australia 17,952
South Australia 12,554
Tasmania 10,565
ACT (Canberra) 994
Northern Territory 154

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

Who carried it

People named Winston,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Joseph Winston
    Joseph Winston 1746–1815 · politician
  • Walter Winston d. 1501 · politician
  • Clement Winston d. 1986 · economist
  • Nat T. Winston, Jr. d. 2013 · psychiatrist
  • Harry Lewis Winston d. 1966 · art collector
  • Isaac Winston 1681–1760

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 Winston,
in the records of 7 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 States1,591 records

1,591 records of the Winston name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 621
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 424
  • Other U.S. records 546
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Alvester Lee Winston

    Born 1948; from Baltimore, Maryland. U.S. Army, medical specialist; killed in action 1967 in Kien Phong, South Vietnam. Buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Wellon L. Winston

    Born 1921 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Myer, Virginia; sales clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1961, buried at Raleigh National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Patrick Winston

    Arrived at New York in 1868 aboard the Colorado from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; laborer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,591 records for Winston 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia107 records

107 records of the Winston name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 52
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 37
  • Other Australian records 18
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charles Winston

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Queen of the Seas, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ralph Winston

    Company director of Toorak, Victoria; died 1984.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record R. H. Winston

    Australian Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 107 records for Winston 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) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Winston name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mariam Winston

    Buried in 1997 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. 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 Gordon David Winston

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Winston

    Married 1802 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 8 records for Winston in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · 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); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France7 records

7 records of the Winston name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Hermine Berthe Winston

    Born 1909 in Pointe-Noire; died 2000 in Les Abymes (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alban Felix Winston

    Born 1939 in Pointe-Noire; died 2000 in Pointe-Noire (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Martine Gerard Winston

    Born 1944 in Pointe-Noire (Guadeloupe); died 2000 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Winston in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Winston name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Winston

    Buried in 1818 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 40.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ellen Winston

    Will proved in 1927; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Winston

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Winston in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Winston name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Winston

    Died 1962; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County 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).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Winston name in Belgium Belgian population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Marie Winston

    In the population register of Aalst; born 1827 in Douvres.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Winston.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Winston is.
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