NameCensus.

UK surname

Winters

A seasonal surname referring to someone who lived near a winter shelter or had a cold personality.

In the 1881 census there were 1,267 people recorded with the Winters surname, ranking it #3,216 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,839, ranked #2,367, up from #3,216 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Govanhill West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Winters is 2,865 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.1%.

1881 census count

1,267

Ranked #3,216

Modern count

2,839

2016, ranked #2,367

Peak year

2010

2,865 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Winters had 1,267 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,216 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,839 in 2016, ranked #2,367.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,592 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Winters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Winters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Winters 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 651 #3,995
1861 historical 814 #3,383
1881 historical 1,267 #3,216
1891 historical 1,324 #3,285
1901 historical 1,592 #3,244
1911 historical 1,352 #3,548
1997 modern 2,677 #2,385
1998 modern 2,759 #2,407
1999 modern 2,851 #2,362
2000 modern 2,793 #2,387
2001 modern 2,729 #2,390
2002 modern 2,772 #2,404
2003 modern 2,714 #2,401
2004 modern 2,746 #2,383
2005 modern 2,705 #2,388
2006 modern 2,703 #2,392
2007 modern 2,707 #2,410
2008 modern 2,732 #2,410
2009 modern 2,787 #2,418
2010 modern 2,865 #2,404
2011 modern 2,807 #2,417
2012 modern 2,776 #2,403
2013 modern 2,838 #2,395
2014 modern 2,856 #2,390
2015 modern 2,845 #2,381
2016 modern 2,839 #2,367

Geography

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Where Winters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Govanhill West and Solihull. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 002 East Cambridgeshire
2 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Govanhill West Glasgow City
5 Solihull 009 Solihull

Forenames

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First names often paired with Winters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Winters

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Winters 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

Winters is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Winters falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Winters

The surname Winters is of English origin and is thought to have derived from the old English word "winter," which referred to the coldest season of the year. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived through particularly harsh winters or was associated with cold weather conditions.

The earliest known record of the surname Winters dates back to the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Roger Wynter was mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Wynter, Wintre, and Wyntur, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Winterbourne and Winterton, which may have influenced its development.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is no direct mention of the surname Winters. However, the book does reference several place names that contain the word "winter," suggesting that the name may have existed in some form during that era.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname Winters was Sir John Wyntres (c. 1310-1376), a prominent English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Edward III.

Another notable figure with the surname Winters was William Wyntres (c. 1460-1535), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Suffolk and the Archdeacon of Sudbury in the early 16th century.

In the literary world, the name Winters is associated with the English poet and playwright Thomas Dekker (c. 1572-1632), who wrote the famous play "The Shoemaker's Holiday" in 1599. Although his surname was Dekker, one of the characters in the play was named Simon Eyre, a shoemaker who adopted the nickname "Winters."

During the 17th century, the surname Winters gained further recognition with individuals such as Robert Winters (1615-1685), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire.

In the 18th century, the name was carried by John Winters (1723-1789), an American soldier and frontiersman who fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Winters continued to be found throughout England and its colonies, with various individuals making their mark in different fields, including politics, literature, and the military.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Winters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Winters 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. Hertfordshire leads with 128 Winters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.00x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 128 15.00x
Cambridgeshire 105 13.39x
Middlesex 102 0.82x
Warwickshire 88 2.82x
Lancashire 78 0.53x
Lanarkshire 64 1.60x
Leicestershire 63 4.59x
Worcestershire 53 3.28x
Bedfordshire 51 7.96x
Surrey 50 0.83x
Lincolnshire 44 2.22x
Yorkshire 44 0.36x
Renfrewshire 33 3.44x
Gloucestershire 30 1.24x
Norfolk 29 1.52x
Kent 28 0.66x
Hampshire 25 0.99x
Durham 23 0.62x
Dunbartonshire 20 6.01x
Staffordshire 20 0.48x
Ayrshire 19 2.05x
Midlothian 19 1.15x
Sussex 18 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 17 1.02x
Cheshire 13 0.48x
Essex 13 0.53x
Somerset 13 0.65x
East Lothian 11 6.71x
Derbyshire 10 0.52x
Stirlingshire 9 1.97x
Cornwall 7 0.50x
Monmouthshire 6 0.67x
Devon 5 0.19x
Glamorgan 4 0.19x
Herefordshire 4 0.79x
Perthshire 4 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.40x
Northamptonshire 3 0.26x
Royal Navy 3 2.03x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.81x
Oxfordshire 2 0.26x
Suffolk 2 0.13x
Wiltshire 2 0.18x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Melbourn in Cambridgeshire leads with 35 Winters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 458.12x.

Place Total Index
Melbourn 35 458.12x
Birmingham 34 3.27x
Aston 31 3.61x
Leverington 25 484.50x
Camberwell 23 2.91x
Melton Mowbray 19 76.99x
Liverpool 18 2.02x
Islington London 17 1.42x
Hitchin 15 38.95x
Newton 15 491.80x
Arlesey 14 173.05x
Barony 14 1.38x
Feckenham 14 75.68x
Shoreditch London 14 2.61x
Welney 14 321.84x
Edinburgh Canongate 13 30.81x
Leigh 13 66.26x
St Pancras London 13 1.30x
Layston 12 264.32x
Shettleston 12 33.48x
Widnes 12 11.33x
Aston 11 454.55x
Bothwell 11 10.13x
Great Grimsby 11 8.76x
Greenwich 11 5.58x
Houston Killallan 11 118.53x
Old Kilpatrick 11 27.98x
Spalding 11 28.00x
Tranent 11 49.66x
Abbey 10 6.83x
Cheltenham 10 5.34x
Drax 10 636.94x
Great Boughton 10 106.16x
Loughborough 10 16.06x
St Marylebone London 10 1.51x
Broxbourne 9 53.22x
Croydon 9 2.69x
Gorbals 9 37.88x
Kensworth 9 323.74x
Leicester St Margaret 9 2.69x
Preston 9 24.69x
St Quivox 9 28.74x
West Bromwich 9 3.76x
Bonhill 8 14.98x
Brighton 8 1.90x
Cheshunt 8 26.82x
Clothall 8 449.44x
Falkirk 8 7.49x
Glasgow 8 1.13x
Holwell 8 879.12x
Lambeth 8 0.74x
Old Monkland 8 5.04x
Portsea 8 1.61x
St Albans St Michael 8 83.95x
Ware 8 32.71x
Whitwick 8 45.85x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.30x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.15x
Everton 7 1.50x
Ickleford 7 292.89x
Inkberrow 7 107.20x
Leamington Priors 7 9.11x
Westminster St John 7 4.64x
Ashwell 6 89.55x
Bentley Cum Arksey 6 93.60x
Blunham 6 138.25x
Bradford 6 2.02x
Budock 6 56.87x
Chatteris 6 30.00x
Clee With Weelsby 6 13.85x
Darlington 6 4.22x
Frampton On Severn 6 146.70x
Ilminster 6 43.10x
Kirkdale 6 2.43x
Littleport 6 40.05x
Melbourne 6 45.28x
Minster In Sheppey 6 8.58x
Nottingham St Mary 6 1.39x
Paisley Low Church 6 19.76x
South Stoneham 6 10.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 71
John 56
George 47
Thomas 40
James 34
Charles 24
Henry 19
Joseph 15
Alfred 12
Edward 11
Wm. 11
Arthur 10
Frederick 9
Robert 9
Albert 8
Harry 8
Samuel 8
Walter 8
Frank 7
Richard 6
Herbert 5
Jas. 4
Owen 4
Willm. 4
Andrew 3
Christopher 3
David 3
Stephen 3
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Matthew 2
Noah 2
Oliver 2
Patrick 2
Saml. 2
Thos. 2
Anthony 1
Donald 1
Geo.H. 1
Geo.W. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Luie 1
Macheal 1
Wm.Josh. 1

FAQ

Winters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Winters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,267 people were recorded with the Winters surname. That placed it at #3,216 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Winters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,839 in 2016. That gives Winters a modern rank of #2,367.

What does the Winters surname mean?

A seasonal surname referring to someone who lived near a winter shelter or had a cold personality.

What does the Winters map show?

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