Show ContentsWinnett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Winnett date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Winnett family lived at Winthrop in the county of Lincolnshire. That place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Winn, meaning friend and porp, meaning settlement, and indicates that it was once owned by someone name Winn.

Early Origins of the Winnett family

The surname Winnett was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor, some say at the time of the Norman Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Winnett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winnett research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1498, 1526, 1544, 1562, 1587, 1606, 1630, 1641, 1649, 1676, 1717 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Winnett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winnett Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Winnett are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Winnett include: Winthorpe, Wynethorpe, Wynthorpe, Winethorpe, Wynethrop, Winthrop, Winthropp, Winethrop, Winthorp, Winthropp, Wynthropp, Wynethropp, Wynthrop, Winthrip, Winthrup, Withrupp, Withripp, Winthroppe, Wynthroppe and many more.

Early Notables of the Winnett family

Notables of the family at this time include John Winthrop (1587-1649), a wealthy English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Born at Edwardston, Suffolk, he was "grandson of Adam Winthrop (1498-1562) of Lavenham in Suffolk, a substantial clothier, who founded the fortunes of the family, was granted the freedom of the city of London in 1526. He obtained by a grant of 1544 the manor of Groton, Suffolk, formerly belonging to...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winnett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winnett Ranking

In the United States, the name Winnett is the 17,486th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Winnett family to Ireland

Some of the Winnett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Winnett migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Winnett or a variant listed above:

Winnett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Winnett, who arrived in Maryland in 1667 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Winnett (post 1700) +

  • William H. Winnett, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Third Suffolk District, 1923-24 [3]
  • Thomas Winnett, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1956, 1960 (alternate) [3]
  • Hudson J. Winnett (1846-1918), American Republican politician, Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, 1899-1903 [3]


The Winnett 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: Hope wins a throne
Motto Translation: An anagram of John Winthrop.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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