Explore the Family Name Winder
The meaning of Winder
English: 1. habitational name in northwestern England, from any of several places called Winder in Lancashire, Cumbria, and Yorkshire, especially one in Cartmel (Lancashire), all named with Old Norse vindr ‘wind’ + erg ‘shieling, hill pasture’. 2. in Sussex and Kent, a topographic name for someone who lived ‘(at the) winding path or ascent’, or by a winding stream, from Middle English wind + the agent suffix -er. Compare Wind 1. 3. occupational name for a winder of wool, from Middle English winder, an agent derivative of Middle English winde(n) ‘to wind’ (Old English windan ‘to go, to proceed’). The verb was also used in the Middle Ages to denote various weaving and plaiting processes, so that in some cases the name may have referred to a maker of baskets or hurdles. History: John Winder is recorded in Somerset County, MD, in 1665. William Henry Winder, born in the county in 1775, was blamed for the military defeat that led to the British burning of Washington, DC, in 1814; his son John Henry Winder (born 1800) was a confederate general who commanded southern military prisons.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Winder in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Winder" has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 6023 to 6192, representing a change of -2.81. However, the count of people with the Winder surname has slightly increased by 5.1%, from 5259 in 2000 to 5527 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 has seen a small drop of 4.1% over the decade, going from 1.95 to 1.87.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,023 | #6,192 | -2.81% |
| Count | 5,259 | 5,527 | 5.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.95 | 1.87 | -4.1% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Winder
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the distribution of ethnic identities among those bearing the Winder surname has changed between 2000 and 2010. The largest group remains those identifying as White, though their percentage dropped slightly from 72.30 to 69.37. The ethnic identity with the most significant increase was Hispanic, which rose from 2.11 to 3.55, marking a 68.25% increase. Those identifying as Black or African American also increased slightly from 22.61 to 23.56, while the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a rise from 0.57 to 0.74. Those identifying as having two or more races grew from 1.75 to 2.10, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a minor increase from 0.67 to 0.69.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.3% | 69.37% | -4.05% |
| Black | 22.61% | 23.56% | 4.2% |
| Hispanic | 2.11% | 3.55% | 68.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.1% | 20% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.57% | 0.74% | 29.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.67% | 0.69% | 2.99% |
Winder ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Winder is British & Irish, which comprises 57.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.0%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.3% |
| French & German | 19.0% |
| Scandinavian | 3.7% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Winder
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Winder have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
What Winder haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Winder is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Z255, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcmahon, Murphy, Walsh, Dempsey, Cullen, Middleton, Mccarthy, Cleary, Mahoney, Griffiths.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Winder surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Winder have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Winder" Surname 35.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Winder" Surname 34.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Winder" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Winder" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Winder?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Winder are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition