Whinfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Whinfield family

The surname Whinfield was first found in Suffolk at Wingfield, an ancient Saxon village that dates back to c. 1035 when it was listed as Wingefeld and probably meant "open land of the family or followers of a man called Wiga," from the Old English personal name + "-inga" + "feld." 1

"The Wingfields of Wingfield and Letheringham, both in Suffolk, a distinguished family of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, are traced nearly to the Conquest, though they do not appear to have been lords of the manor or castle of Wingfield before the reign of Edward II. " 2

Wingfield Castle, was the ancestral home of the Wingfield family and their heirs. Of note was Sir John de Wingfield (died c. 1361), Chief Administrator to Edward the Black Prince, a title received c. 1351 as a result of his devotion his prince including Crecy in 1346 and in the Normandy campaign in 1347-1348. Wingfield College "was founded on the south side of the church [of Wingfield] by the will of Sir John Wingfield, in 1362, for a provost and nine priests." 3

Early History of the Whinfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whinfield research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1361, 1403, 1454, 1456, 1464, 1523, 1525, 1533, 1534, 1536, 1539, 1545, 1550, 1551, 1552, 1560, 1597, 1621, 1626, 1628, 1634, 1660 and 1677 are included under the topic Early Whinfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whinfield Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Winfield, Wingfield and others.

Early Notables of the Whinfield family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Wingfield (d. 1361), High Steward and Councilor to the Prince of Wales, who accompanied the Prince on his campaigns in France, Chief Administrator to Edward the Black Prince; Sir Richard Wingfield, (1456-1525), from Letheringham, Suffolk, English courtier, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1523-1525); Sir Robert Wingfield of Letheringham, Suffolk (1403-1454), an English knight; Sir Robert Wingfield (1464?-1539), an English diplomat; Lady Bridget Wingfield (died 1534) close friend and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn; Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt (1550-1634), an English...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whinfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whinfield family to Ireland

Some of the Whinfield family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whinfield migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whinfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John M Whinfield, who arrived in New York, NY in 1844 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Whinfield (post 1700) +

Sir Thomas Whinfield Scholar K.C.B. (b. 1968), British Permanent Secretary for H.M. Treasury was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of Bath on 17th June 2017

The Whinfield 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: Fidelite est de Dieu
Motto Translation: Faith is in God.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)