Surname Gwinnett - Meaning and Origin
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Gwinnett: What does the surname Gwinnett mean?
The last name Gwinnett is of Welsh origin, likely originating with the Welsh personal name “Wynn”. The Welsh “wy” prefix was often combined with an ending such as "ett" to form aByzantine name. The “Gwinn” suffix was likely added later when the name eventually traveled to England as a result of the Norman invasion of Wales.
The name also has ties to the Huguenot religious refugees who arrived from France to England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of these Huguenots ended up in the south of Wales. Since many of them were of different religious backgrounds, they could not be accepted in England. As a result, many of them began to Anglicize their names in order to fit better into English society. “Gwinnett” is believed to be one of these Anglicized names.
Gwinnett is a fairly uncommon name today, but it is still found in pockets all across the United Kingdom and United States. It is most common in Wales, particularly in the south-western regions. Wherever it is found today, it is likely to refer to a family of Welsh descent, with ancestry tracing back to the Normans in Wales or to a Huguenot religious refugee from France centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisGwinnett: Where does the name Gwinnett come from?
Gwinnett is a name primarily associated with the US state of Georgia. It was first used in the 1700s by Button Gwinnett, one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence. This family would go on to become one of the most powerful and influential families in Georgia, having been granted large swathes of land for settlement. The Gwinnett name has lasted to this day and continues to be used as a surname in Georgia and other parts of the United States.
Today, people bearing the Gwinnett name can be found living across the US, with the largest concentrations in Georgia and North Carolina. In the 2000 United States census, Gwinnett was the 2,479th most common surname in the country, with just under 19,000 individuals bearing the Gwinnett name. Furthermore, according to the 2018 US census, the present-day Gwinnett family is the 4,137th most common family name, with just over 16,000 individuals using the name.
The Gwinnett name continues to this day as a part of the rich history of Georgia and the United States as a whole. Though the name has dwindled in recent years, it has withstood the test of time and remains an important part of the tapestry of American history.
Variations of the surname Gwinnett
Gwinnett is a surname of Welsh origin derived from the Welsh and Old English given name Gwynedd or Gwynnett. There are a number of variants and spellings of this surname, including Gwinett, Gwynett, Gwinnit, Gwineth, Gwenet, Gwinnet, Gwinnete, Gwenet, Gwinnet and Gwynet. The Welsh spelling of this surname is often found as Gwinnod, Gwynnod, or Gwyinnod.
In the United States, the spelling of Gwinnett is represented by a number of different variations, such as Gwinnet, Gwinett, Gwynnette, Gwinnet, Gwinnette, Gwynnette, and Gwineth. In Scotland, variations may be followed with the suffixes "-son", "-sonne", or "-sone". This yields additional spellings, including Gwinnetsone and Gwynnestone.
In some cases, the surname may have evolved into a more modern incarnation, such as Ginnitt, Gwinnitt, Ginnit, or Gwinnit. All of these can be considered derived from the same surname.
Other surnames of similar origin that may be related to Gwinnett include Gwynn, Wynn, Gwyther, Wynnett, Gwynette, and Gwythers.
In some instances, Gwinnett, or a variation thereof, has been used as a given name. It is sometimes given to commemorate a Welsh family member or to honor a family patriarch.
Overall, Gwinnett is a surname of Welsh origin that has several unique spellings and variants, as well as a few related surnames. It is often represented in a variety of spellings, such as Gwinnet, Gwynnette, Gwinnette, Gwinnod, and more. In some instances, the surname has even been given as a first name to honor a Welsh family member.
Famous people with the name Gwinnett
- Button Gwinnett, a founding father of the United States
- Floyd Gwinnett, an American football player
- Louise Gwinnett, a former actress
- Fernbank Gwinnett, a British-born American Army Brigadier General
- Jack Gwinnett, a professional football player
- Arthur Gwinnett, an American artist
- John Gwinnett, a British Member of Parliament
- Joan Gwinnett, a British shipowner
- Ira Gwinnett, an American military leader
- Clara Gwinnett, an American schoolteacher and inventor