NameCensus.

UK surname

Winnett

A habitational surname derived from a place name believed to mean "white meadow."

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Winnett surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 363, ranked #12,777, down from #11,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood, Blaenau Gwent and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Winnett is 423 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.3%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

363

2016, ranked #12,777

Peak year

2002

423 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Winnett had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016, ranked #12,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 396 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Winnett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Winnett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Winnett 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 281 #11,630
1901 historical 345 #10,541
1911 historical 396 #9,354
1997 modern 390 #11,215
1998 modern 418 #11,009
1999 modern 414 #11,156
2000 modern 406 #11,271
2001 modern 394 #11,344
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 414 #10,980
2004 modern 406 #11,155
2005 modern 399 #11,206
2006 modern 397 #11,317
2007 modern 390 #11,596
2008 modern 393 #11,641
2009 modern 407 #11,556
2010 modern 407 #11,824
2011 modern 402 #11,828
2012 modern 382 #12,127
2013 modern 386 #12,243
2014 modern 387 #12,299
2015 modern 375 #12,470
2016 modern 363 #12,777

Geography

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Where Winnetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Sedgeberrow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Charnwood, Blaenau Gwent, Aylesbury Vale, Cornwall and East Devon. 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 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Sedgeberrow Worcestershire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Charnwood 013 Charnwood
2 Blaenau Gwent 009 Blaenau Gwent
3 Aylesbury Vale 002 Aylesbury Vale
4 Cornwall 031 Cornwall
5 East Devon 010 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Winnett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Winnett

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Winnett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Winnett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Winnett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Winnett is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Winnett falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Winnett 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 Winnett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Winnett

The surname Winnett has its origins in the British Isles, most likely derived from Wales. The name dates back to medieval times and is derived from the Old Welsh personal name Gwynedd, which itself is linked to the kingdom of Gwynedd, a historic region in North Wales. The Welsh word "Gwyn" means "white" or "blessed," and it was often used as a part of names to denote purity or fair complexion.

The name Winnett appears in historical records, including old manuscripts and legal documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. It evolved from various spellings, including Winnet, Wynett, and Wynette. An early recorded version is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1275, listing a John Wynet.

By the 16th century, the name Winnett had established itself in various regions of England and Wales, appearing in court records, land deeds, and parish registers. One notable individual is William Winnett, born in 1562 in London, who became a merchant and was known for his trading ventures in the late Tudor period.

Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Winnett, born in 1625, who is documented in the Hearth Tax returns in the 1660s, indicating she was a landowner of some significance in Suffolk.

In the 18th century, Thomas Winnett (born 1723), a noted legal scholar, published several treatises on common law and left a lasting mark on the legal community of his time. His works are still referenced by historians and legal scholars today.

In America, the surname appeared among early settlers, with John Winnett, born in 1742, being one of the first recorded Winnetts in the American colonies. He was a farmer who eventually took part in the American Revolutionary War, contributing to the fight for independence.

The name also appears in the context of maritime history, with Captain Samuel Winnett, a merchant mariner born in 1803. He captained several vessels during the early 19th century, facilitating trade between Britain and the Caribbean.

Throughout history, the surname Winnett has been associated with individuals who made their mark in various fields, from commerce to law and exploration. Although less common today, the name carries a rich heritage dating back to the earliest days of Welsh civilization and medieval Britain.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Winnett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Winnett 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. Worcestershire leads with 48 Winnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.75x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 48 16.75x
Middlesex 45 2.05x
Warwickshire 28 5.06x
Lancashire 16 0.61x
Gloucestershire 15 3.48x
Oxfordshire 14 10.33x
Leicestershire 12 4.93x
Kent 10 1.34x
Yorkshire 9 0.41x
Surrey 7 0.65x
Bedfordshire 5 4.40x
Hertfordshire 4 2.64x
Staffordshire 4 0.54x
Sussex 3 0.81x
Radnorshire 2 11.29x
Wiltshire 2 1.03x
Hampshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire leads with 29 Winnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12608.70x.

Place Total Index
Sedgeberrow 29 12608.70x
Salford 14 5000.00x
Shoreditch London 13 13.66x
Leicester St Margaret 12 20.22x
Birmingham 9 4.88x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 22.21x
Manningham 9 33.59x
Salford Priors 9 1451.61x
Westminster St James 9 39.89x
Inkberrow 8 689.66x
Moss Side 8 58.39x
Hulme 7 12.87x
Bermondsey 6 9.18x
Milton In Gravesend 6 53.43x
Wickhamford 6 6666.67x
Edgbaston 5 29.14x
Luton 5 25.42x
Alcester 4 218.58x
Alvechurch 4 327.87x
Bristol St George 4 20.09x
Harborne 4 16.85x
Kensington London 4 3.28x
Lewisham 4 10.02x
Paddington London 4 4.96x
St George Hanover 4 13.96x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.15x
Brighton 3 4.02x
Islington London 3 1.41x
St Luke London 3 8.52x
Bucknell 2 370.37x
Hemel Hempstead 2 29.33x
Kensworth 2 408.16x
Beckford 1 285.71x
Bengeworth 1 101.01x
Cow Honeybourne 1 357.14x
Great Alne 1 303.03x
Hackney London 1 0.81x
Highworth 1 40.32x
Mere 1 45.25x
Portsea 1 1.13x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.26x
St Marylebone London 1 0.85x
Withington 1 11.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
Thomas 14
George 12
John 11
James 8
Henry 7
Albert 5
Charles 4
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Howard 2
Mark 2
Adelbert 1
Allen 1
Arthur 1
Caleb 1
Collin 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo.H. 1
Geoe. 1
Harry 1
Harvey 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Job 1
Norman 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Winnett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Winnett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Winnett surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Winnett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016. That gives Winnett a modern rank of #12,777.

What does the Winnett surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name believed to mean "white meadow."

What does the Winnett map show?

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