2000
#9,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Winningham
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Wynn's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,289 Americans carry the last name Winningham. That puts it at #10,644 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winningham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,212
Census rank
#10,644
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,868 bearers of the surname Winningham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10644th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winningham
The surname WINNINGHAM has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century and the Domesday Book, compiled for William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "winnan" meaning to struggle or strive, and "ham" referring to a homestead or village.
WINNINGHAM is thought to have originated in the county of Berkshire, where it was first recorded as Wynnyngeham or Wynyngham in medieval records. This spelling likely referred to a settlement or farmstead where those with the name resided or were landowners. Similar place names such as Winningham and Winninghim can be found in historical documents from the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname WINNINGHAM was Robert de Wynyngeham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1198. These rolls were financial records kept by the Exchequer of England during the reign of King Richard I.
In the 13th century, a branch of the WINNINGHAM family settled in Nottinghamshire, where they held lands and played a role in local affairs. Sir John de Wynyngeham was a prominent figure in this line, serving as a knight and landowner in the late 1200s.
During the Tudor period, the WINNINGHAM surname gained further recognition with the rise of Thomas Winningham (c. 1510-1572), a notable merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He was a member of the Merchant Venturers of Bristol and served as the city's mayor in 1553 and 1560.
Another prominent individual with the WINNINGHAM surname was Sir Francis Winnington (1634-1700), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Tewkesbury and Worcester, during the late 17th century. He was a vocal supporter of the Glorious Revolution and played a role in securing the succession of William III and Mary II to the English throne.
In the 18th century, the WINNINGHAM name appeared in the records of the East India Company, with John Winningham (1718-1801) serving as a writer and administrator in the company's Bengal Presidency. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and establishing schools in the region.
While the WINNINGHAM surname has undergone various spellings over the centuries, it remains a distinctive name with a rich history rooted in the English countryside and associated with notable figures from different walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winningham
Among Census respondents with the surname Winningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Winningham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Winningham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 2,488
- Black or African American4.7% · 135
- Two or more races4.3% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winningham
Winningham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,002
-82 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 987 places
2020
#10,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,868
-134 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,670 | 3,084 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,657 | 3,002 | 1.02 | -82 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 987 places |
| 2020 | #10,644 | 2,868 | 0.96 | -134 bearers (-4.5%) | Up 13 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Winningham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,657 | #10,644 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,002 | 2,868 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.96 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winningham bearers went from 3,002 to 2,868 (-4.5% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,657 to #10,644.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Winningham
FAQ
Winningham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winningham?
Name Census estimates that about 3,289 living Americans carry the surname Winningham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,212 residents.
How common is Winningham?
Winningham ranks #10,644 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,868 people with the surname Winningham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,289), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Winningham.
Has Winningham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winningham went from 3,002 recorded bearers to 2,868. That is a decrease of 134 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,657 to #10,644.
What does the Census say about the background of Winningham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Winningham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (2,488 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winningham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Winningham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Winningham mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Wynn's people" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Winningham (0.96 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Winningham?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.