NameCensus.

UK surname

Winkle

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person with a periwinkle shell-like birthmark or resembling the sea snail.

In the 1881 census there were 293 people recorded with the Winkle surname, ranking it #9,884 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 344, ranked #13,347, down from #9,884 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Norton-in-the-Moors and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Doncaster and East Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Winkle is 477 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.4%.

1881 census count

293

Ranked #9,884

Modern count

344

2016, ranked #13,347

Peak year

1911

477 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Winkle had 293 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,884 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 344 in 2016, ranked #13,347.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 477 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Winkle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Winkle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Winkle 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 138 #13,745
1861 historical 178 #13,202
1881 historical 293 #9,884
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 424 #9,102
1911 historical 477 #8,114
1997 modern 284 #14,006
1998 modern 406 #11,228
1999 modern 388 #11,696
2000 modern 390 #11,623
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 361 #12,175
2005 modern 350 #12,359
2006 modern 351 #12,420
2007 modern 359 #12,356
2008 modern 364 #12,328
2009 modern 375 #12,317
2010 modern 382 #12,410
2011 modern 382 #12,272
2012 modern 352 #12,913
2013 modern 359 #12,917
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 352 #13,109
2016 modern 344 #13,347

Geography

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Where Winkles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Norton-in-the-Moors, Wolstanton, Burslem and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Doncaster, East Northamptonshire and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
3 East Northamptonshire 008 East Northamptonshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent 008 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Winkle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Winkle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Winkle, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Winkle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Winkle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Winkle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Winkle is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Winkle 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 Winkle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Winkle

The surname "WINKLE" has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "wincel," meaning "a corner or nook," which may have referred to someone living in a secluded or tucked-away area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is written as "Wynckel." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem, a collection of inquisitions post mortem (inquiries into land holdings after a person's death) from the reign of Edward I. Here, it is spelled as "Wynkele."

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname "WINKLE" itself, but it does mention place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname. For instance, the village of "Winchendon" in Buckinghamshire is recorded, which could be related to the Old English word "wincel."

Notable historical figures who bore the surname "WINKLE" include:

1. John Winkle (c. 1490 - 1557), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. 2. William Winkle (1594 - 1671), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Monks Risborough in Buckinghamshire. 3. Elizabeth Winkle (c. 1620 - 1688), an English Quaker minister and writer who was imprisoned for her religious beliefs. 4. Thomas Winkle (1733 - 1798), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a surveyor in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada). 5. Mary Winkle (1787 - 1856), an English author and poet who published several works, including "Poetical Trifles" in 1815.

While the surname "WINKLE" may have originated from a geographical location or description, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergymen, writers, soldiers, and surveyors, leaving an indelible mark on the history and cultural fabric of England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Winkle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Winkle 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. Staffordshire leads with 200 Winkles recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.73x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 200 20.73x
Lancashire 28 0.83x
Kent 10 1.03x
Middlesex 10 0.35x
Cheshire 8 1.27x
Warwickshire 7 0.97x
Northamptonshire 6 2.23x
Surrey 5 0.36x
Worcestershire 5 1.34x
Glamorgan 4 0.80x
Derbyshire 3 0.67x
Norfolk 2 0.46x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 53 Winkles recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.81x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 53 51.81x
Burslem 44 159.19x
Wolstanton 44 150.17x
Biddulph 9 165.44x
Canterbury St Mary 9 137.61x
Moss Side 8 44.82x
Hulme 7 9.89x
Smallthorne 6 167.60x
Wellingborough 6 44.38x
Birmingham 5 2.08x
Caverswall 5 99.80x
Macclesfield 5 17.83x
Pendleton In Salford 5 12.38x
Richmond 5 25.63x
Stone 5 40.52x
Willenhall 5 27.67x
Wolstanton Knutton 5 84.89x
Newton 4 15.30x
Swansea Town 4 9.80x
Tipton 4 13.54x
Walsall Borough 4 53.40x
West Bromwich 4 7.24x
Wolstanton Thursfield 4 341.88x
Wolverhampton 4 5.39x
Chesterfield 3 17.89x
Great Malvern 3 38.51x
Shoreditch London 3 2.42x
Walsall Foreign 3 6.02x
Whitechapel London 3 10.65x
Congleton 2 18.35x
Kings Norton 2 5.98x
Nether Hallam 2 5.22x
Norwich St Benedict 2 102.04x
Aston 1 0.50x
Buglawton 1 65.79x
Cheetham 1 3.95x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.86x
Folkestone 1 5.29x
Hammersmith London 1 1.42x
Harborne 1 3.23x
Liverpool 1 0.49x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.00x
Rugby 1 10.26x
Rumworth 1 20.62x
Spitalfields London 1 4.65x
St Bride London 1 60.24x
St Giles In Fields 1 10.14x
St Mary Magdalen Lincoln 1 163.93x
Tyrie 1 30.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 18
Elizabeth 11
Emma 9
Hannah 8
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Ellen 5
Alice 3
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Emily 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Sophia 2
Agetta 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizh 1
Elsie 1
Georgina 1
Jennett 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Melinda 1
Myra 1
Phoebe 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 21
James 10
Joseph 9
Thomas 8
Frederick 7
Henry 6
Arthur 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
George 4
Harry 4
Elijah 3
Enoch 3
Josiah 3
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Moses 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Ambrose 1
Benjamin 1
Berend 1
Fitz 1
Fred 1
Fredk 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Joel 1
Joshua 1
Kendall 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Winkle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Winkle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 293 people were recorded with the Winkle surname. That placed it at #9,884 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Winkle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 344 in 2016. That gives Winkle a modern rank of #13,347.

What does the Winkle surname mean?

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person with a periwinkle shell-like birthmark or resembling the sea snail.

What does the Winkle map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Winkle 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.