Winzer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Winzer is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Winzer family lived in Berkshire, at Windsor Castle. Interestingly, "The Stanwell family claim descent from Walter Fitz-Other (fl. 1087), who held that manor at the time of Domesday Book and was warder of Windsor Castle, whence he derived the name Windsor. His third son, Gerald de Windsor (fl. 1116), was constable of Pembroke Castle, and steward to Arnulf, Earl of Pembroke, in whose service he saw much fighting in Pembroke. He was sent to King Murtagh in Ireland to ask his daughter's hand for Arnulf, married Nest or Nesta, mistress of Henry I, and was father of William Fitzgerald, Maurice Fitzgerald (d. 1176), David (d. 1176), Bishop of St. David's, and Angharad, mother of Giraldus Cambrensis, the historian. It was from Gerald's eldest brother William that the Windsors of Stanwell claimed descent." 1

Early Origins of the Winzer family

The surname Winzer was first found in Berkshire, where they were descended from William FitzOtho, who was son of Adalbert the second Duke of Lombardy. This Walter was given Windsor Castle by William, Duke of Normandy. His son, William Fitzwalter assumed the surname of the Castle. This was not the only time a family would assume the name of the castle as in 1917, the present Royal family would do the same.

One of the first on records of the family was Sir William de Windsor, Baron Windsor (d. 1384), Deputy of Ireland, the son of Sir Alexander de Windsor of Grayrigg, Westmorland. "No connection has been proved between this family and that of the Windsors of Stanwell. " 1

Early History of the Winzer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winzer research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1360, 1381, 1445, 1467, 1513, 1541, 1543, 1624, 1627, 1687 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Winzer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winzer Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Windsor, Winsor, Winzer, Winser, Wincer and others.

Early Notables of the Winzer family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir James Windsor (c.1360), ancestor of the Earls of Plymouth, First Baron Andrew Windsor (1467-1543), a courtier and army commander, and Miles Windsore (1541-1624), a British scholar and poet.Thomas Windsor, seventh Baron Windsor of Stanwell and...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winzer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winzer family to Ireland

Some of the Winzer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winzer migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Winzer or a variant listed above:

Winzer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

E Winzer, aged 46, who arrived in New York, NY in 1851 2
Charles Winzer, who was naturalized in Illinois in 1867

Winzer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Winzer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Robert Winzer, aged 48, a bricklayer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Lady Ann"

Contemporary Notables of the name Winzer (post 1700) +

Dr. Hugo Winzer (1862-1937), German pair skater
Otto Winzer (1902-1975), East German diplomat awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit (1955 and 1972), Order of Karl Marx (1962) and Grand Star of People's Friendship (1975)

The Winzer Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Je me fie en Dieu
Motto Translation: I trust in God.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)