Surname Winnie - Meaning and Origin

Winnie: What does the surname Winnie mean?

The last name Winnie is derived from the medieval personal name Winifred. It is an English name believed to be of Saxon origin, and may have been related to the Old High German name Winfred, which is a combination of two elements, “wine” (to strive, to fight) and “frid/frd,” (peace).

It is thought that the name developed from an even older Anglo-Saxon name, Wynfriþ, with “wynn” meaning joy or delight and “friþ” peace. The name became most popular during the Middle Ages, with the spelling variants Winn, Winnie, Winnifre and Winfred. Over the centuries, the form eventually settled into the familiar Winnie.

Winnie has historically been a popular name for girls, as centuries ago it was a name associated with great beauty and loyalty. Even today, it still evokes these qualities, being seen as elegant, charming, and optimistic. Names like Winnie give a sense of depth to someone’s character, and the name may even suggest one with a creative spirit who loves adventure. In many cultures, the name Winnie is seen as being dedicated to the ideals of peace and harmony, and this could be seen in one whose name is Winnie.

Winnie: Where does the name Winnie come from?

The Winnie surname is most commonly found in the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In the US, the surname is especially popular in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia.

The origin of Winnie is not entirely clear, but it is believed to derive from the name Winnifred, the Old English name meaning “peaceful friend”.

It is likely that the surname was originally an English one, as it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wenne and Winne. During the Norman conquest, the Winnies were believed to have entered England.

Present day, it can be seen in the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The number of people with the surname Winnie is growing fastest in the United States – up by 402.4 percent since 1880. The United Kingdom and Ireland also have large populations of the Winne surname, with 319,000 people in the UK and 10,700 in Ireland.

In the US, Winnie is often used as a nickname for people who have the Winn surname. W. C. Fields, Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton all had the nickname “Winnie”.

Variations of the surname Winnie

The surname Winnie, also spelled Winni, Winny and Wynny, is of English and Scottish origin. It is a variant of the name Winston and is a popular nickname form of the name Winifred (meaning 'peaceful friend'). It is also a short form of the surname Winfield, which is derived from the Old English winefeld (meaning 'field of wine grapes'), and is possible a locational surname for one who lived near a vineyard. Surnames which are still found today with a similar spelling include Wynne, Winn, Wyne, Win, Wyn, Winers and Winters. Throughout the United States Winnie remains a popular given name.

Sometimes Winnie is also used as a prefix in double barrelled surnames, such as Winnie-Smith, Winnie-Hunter and Winnie-Foster. The most common spellings of such names are Winnifred and Winifred.

In Scotland, Winnie can also be found as a Gaelic surname, possibly derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhionghuin (meaning 'son of Fhionghuin'), a Gaelic equivalent of the name Winston.

In France, the spelling is more likely to be Vinai, which is a short form of the French surname Kevin. The Normans brought the French surname into England in the 12th Century and over time the pronunciation has changed.

In German, where the surname is spelled Winnie, it is most likely derived from the old German word Winfried (meaning 'friendly battle'). The surname remained popular in Germany until the 17th Century and changed to words such as Windisch, Windischmann and Winkler.

The surname Winnie is also found in other European countries with the same meaning. It is common in Hungary, Lithuania and Poland with names including Win, Vin, and Vinne. Among other countries where the surname is spelled either Winnie or Winni are Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden.

Famous people with the name Winnie

• Richard Wintle (also known as 'Winnie'), English documentary photographer.
• Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist and the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela.
• Alexander Winnie, American actor.
• Bob Winnie, Canadian comedian and former CBC Radio host.
• Gary Winnie, American former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Peter Winnie, former American professional basketball player.
• Winnie Smith, English watercolour artist.
• Winnie Ma, Hong Kong actress.
• Winnie Diaz, Filipino artist, educator, and human rights activist.
• Winnie Humphrey, American ballerina, choreographer, and director of dance-theater works.

Other surnames