Winsley
A masculine name of English origin meaning "from the green meadow by the church".
Name Census estimates that about 243 living Americans carry the first name Winsley. It is a predominantly female name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Winsley today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Winsley births was 2024 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Winsley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
243
~ 1 in 1,410,512 Americans
Peak year
2024
47 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2009 SSA rank
#3,373
Tracked since 2009
Gender
Gender distribution for Winsley
Winsley leans heavily female at 97.5% of total registrations, but 6 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Winsley as a male name
- Ranked #12,413 in 2009
- 6 male births in 2009
- Peak: 2009 (6 births)
Winsley as a female name
- Ranked #3,373 in 2024
- 47 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (47 births)
Popularity
Winsley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Winsley from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 165 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Winsley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Winsley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Winsleys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Winsley
The name Winsley is a relatively uncommon English name with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a combination of two Old English words: "wine," meaning friend or companion, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing. Thus, the name Winsley may have been initially used to refer to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing where friends or companions gathered.
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Winsley can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a place called "Winsley" in Wiltshire, which may have derived its name from an early inhabitant or landowner bearing the name Winsley.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Winsley remained relatively obscure, with few notable individuals bearing the name. However, in the 16th century, a man named Winsley Sutton (c. 1520-1580) gained recognition as a prominent English merchant and landowner in Somerset. He is recorded as having acquired significant wealth and property during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, another individual named Winsley Mears (c. 1630-1695) made a mark as a prominent Quaker leader and minister in England. He was known for his tireless efforts in promoting Quakerism and for his compelling sermons and writings.
Moving into the 18th century, a figure named Winsley Edwards (1720-1795) gained prominence as a Welsh clergyman and author. He was particularly known for his work on theology and his contributions to the field of Welsh literature.
In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the name Winsley was Winsley Hill (1825-1890), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Church of St. Mary Abbots.
While the name Winsley has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has a rich heritage rooted in the early English language and has been borne by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, from commerce and religion to literature and architecture.
People
Winsley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Winsley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Winsley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Winsley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 243 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Winsley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,410,512 US residents.
Is Winsley a common name?
We classify Winsley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 244 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Winsley most popular?
The single biggest year for Winsley was 2024, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Winsley is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Winsley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Winsley a female name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Winsley in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Winsley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Winsley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Winsley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Winsley?
Find out how many people have the name Winsley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.