NameCensus.

UK surname

Winchester

An English habitational surname derived from the city of Winchester, meaning "Roman fort of Venta Belgarum."

In the 1881 census there were 1,141 people recorded with the Winchester surname, ranking it #3,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,757, ranked #3,573, down from #3,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Speymouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Errol and Inchture, Rother and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Winchester is 1,765 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.0%.

1881 census count

1,141

Ranked #3,509

Modern count

1,757

2016, ranked #3,573

Peak year

2014

1,765 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Winchester had 1,141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,757 in 2016, ranked #3,573.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,544 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Winchester surname distribution map

The map shows where the Winchester surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Winchester surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Winchester over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 848 #3,208
1861 historical 923 #3,005
1881 historical 1,141 #3,509
1891 historical 1,365 #3,179
1901 historical 1,544 #3,336
1911 historical 1,297 #3,676
1997 modern 1,625 #3,645
1998 modern 1,712 #3,617
1999 modern 1,739 #3,588
2000 modern 1,723 #3,598
2001 modern 1,685 #3,607
2002 modern 1,761 #3,536
2003 modern 1,657 #3,658
2004 modern 1,669 #3,637
2005 modern 1,650 #3,638
2006 modern 1,600 #3,735
2007 modern 1,616 #3,738
2008 modern 1,618 #3,756
2009 modern 1,672 #3,735
2010 modern 1,720 #3,713
2011 modern 1,673 #3,768
2012 modern 1,681 #3,682
2013 modern 1,740 #3,629
2014 modern 1,765 #3,597
2015 modern 1,755 #3,591
2016 modern 1,757 #3,573

Geography

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Where Winchesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Speymouth, Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield and Hurstmonceux, Wartling. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Errol and Inchture, Rother, Hastings and Keith and Fife Keith. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Speymouth Elgin
4 Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield Sussex
5 Hurstmonceux, Wartling Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Errol and Inchture Perth and Kinross
2 Rother 006 Rother
3 Hastings 001 Hastings
4 Rother 003 Rother
5 Keith and Fife Keith Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Winchester

These lists show first names that appear often with the Winchester surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Winchester

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Winchester, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Winchester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Winchester household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Winchester is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Winchester is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Winchester falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Winchester is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Winchester, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Winchester

The surname Winchester originated in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the city of Winchester, which was an important urban center during the Middle Ages. The name Winchester comes from the Old English words "Wince" and "ceaster," meaning "winding" and "fort" or "town," respectively.

The city of Winchester was established by the Romans and served as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex. It was a significant religious and administrative center, with the construction of the renowned Winchester Cathedral in the 11th century. The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England, contains numerous references to individuals with the surname Winchester.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Winchester can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Walter de Wincestre is mentioned. The variant spelling "Wynchestre" also appeared in medieval records from the 13th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Winchester throughout history include:

1. Thomas Winchester (c. 1610-1690), an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Muddy River (now Brookline), Massachusetts. 2. Elhanan Winchester (1751-1797), an influential Baptist minister and Christian universalist author from Massachusetts. 3. Oliver Fisher Winchester (1810-1880), the American businessman and founder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, known for the renowned Winchester rifles. 4. James Winchester (1795-1859), a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) from 1848 to 1854. 5. Sir Benjamin Winchester (1596-1657), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex during the reign of King Charles I.

While the surname Winchester originated from the city in Hampshire, England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Winchester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Winchester surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 260 Winchesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.86x.

County Total Index
Sussex 260 13.86x
Surrey 120 2.21x
Morayshire 89 51.46x
Middlesex 82 0.74x
Banffshire 79 34.22x
Lancashire 74 0.56x
Kent 66 1.74x
Aberdeenshire 39 3.78x
Gloucestershire 31 1.42x
Cheshire 27 1.10x
Oxfordshire 27 3.93x
Northumberland 26 1.57x
Shetland 26 22.87x
Somerset 19 1.06x
Hampshire 18 0.79x
Renfrewshire 16 1.86x
Buckinghamshire 15 2.23x
Midlothian 14 0.94x
East Lothian 10 6.78x
Hertfordshire 10 1.30x
Essex 8 0.36x
Kincardineshire 8 5.90x
Angus 7 0.68x
Cornwall 7 0.56x
Lincolnshire 6 0.34x
Worcestershire 6 0.41x
Berkshire 5 0.60x
Yorkshire 5 0.05x
Ayrshire 4 0.48x
Buteshire 4 5.93x
Cumberland 4 0.42x
Inverness-shire 4 1.20x
Lanarkshire 3 0.08x
Argyllshire 2 0.65x
Devon 2 0.09x
Durham 2 0.06x
Sutherland 2 2.34x
Warwickshire 2 0.07x
Wiltshire 2 0.20x
Fife 1 0.15x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.12x
Nairnshire 1 2.94x
Norfolk 1 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.07x
Ross-shire 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 0.75x
West Lothian 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 57 Winchesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.06x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 57 15.06x
Rathven 43 99.15x
Herstmonceaux 28 496.45x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 26 12.65x
Urquhart 26 318.24x
Ashburnham 25 847.46x
Eastbourne 24 27.79x
Frensham 22 276.38x
Pilling 21 338.71x
Battersea 20 4.88x
Northmavine 18 207.85x
Penhurst 18 4500.00x
Stoke St Gregory 18 330.88x
Horne 16 601.50x
West Derby 16 4.14x
Birkenhead 15 7.66x
Forres 15 82.51x
Thornham 15 607.29x
Gamrie 13 50.45x
Tonbridge 13 9.49x
Twickenham 13 27.24x
Cathcart 12 25.71x
Islington London 12 1.11x
Oxford St Ebbe 12 59.32x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 11 5.70x
Accrington 10 8.33x
Hove 10 12.14x
Marnoch 10 80.65x
Angmering 9 240.00x
Burstow 9 195.65x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 9 1.50x
Peterhead 9 16.51x
St Andrew Holborn 9 23.85x
Tillington 9 266.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 3.72x
Athelstaneford 8 274.91x
Bamburgh 8 606.06x
Banff 8 39.90x
Burnham 8 93.24x
Dallington 8 396.04x
Bletchingley 7 99.01x
Brede 7 178.12x
Duffus 7 45.93x
Edinkillie 7 155.21x
Elgin 7 20.81x
Ford 7 115.70x
Hampstead London 7 4.04x
Maker 7 60.14x
Monken Hadley 7 157.30x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 7 85.89x
Tranmere 7 7.75x
Bervie 6 74.72x
Bromley London 6 2.45x
Catsfield 6 223.05x
Cromdale 6 43.13x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.05x
Godstone 6 61.73x
Kensington London 6 0.97x
Redbourn 6 71.60x
Reigate Foreign 6 10.22x
Ash Next Sandwich 5 59.52x
Brightling 5 194.55x
Dallas 5 142.05x
Esher 5 65.88x
Fraserburgh 5 17.23x
Ingoldmells 5 537.63x
Keith 5 20.32x
Ninfield 5 217.39x
Northfield 5 18.13x
Pendleton In Salford 5 3.18x
Preston 5 1.42x
Waldron 5 97.85x
Wartling 5 218.34x
Dyce 4 90.09x
Eling 4 17.31x
Iffley 4 68.97x
Lower Bebington 4 27.40x
Northwood 4 12.31x
West Clandon 4 283.69x
Workington 4 7.29x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Winchester surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Winchester surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 43
John 36
George 34
James 30
Henry 20
Thomas 18
Charles 15
Edward 14
Joseph 13
Frederick 11
Richard 10
Alfred 9
Albert 7
Ernest 6
Harry 6
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Daniel 5
Herbert 5
Levi 5
Thos. 5
Christopher 4
Francis 4
Alexander 3
Arthur 3
David 3
Frank 3
Amos 2
Curtis 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Gaius 2
Horace 2
J.Albt. 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Michael 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Bob 1
Carter 1
Cecil 1
Enoch 1
Fr. 1
Isaac 1
Wilton 1

FAQ

Winchester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Winchester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,141 people were recorded with the Winchester surname. That placed it at #3,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Winchester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,757 in 2016. That gives Winchester a modern rank of #3,573.

What does the Winchester surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from the city of Winchester, meaning "Roman fort of Venta Belgarum."

What does the Winchester map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Winchester bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.