Win History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The old, proud name Welsh name Win is derived from the Welsh word "gwyn," which means "fair" or "white." It was a nickname for a person with light-colored hair or a pale complexion, or perhaps for someone who habitually wore white or pale-colored clothing.

Early Origins of the Win family

The surname Win was first found in Carnarvonshire (Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon), a former county in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and today divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy, where this distinguished Welsh family claim lineal descent from Brochwel, Prince of Powys, who was Commander of the Welsh forces under Cadvan in the memorable battle near Chester fought with the Saxons under King Ethelred of Northumberland in the year 603.

Wini (d. 675?), was Bishop of London, an Englishman and probably a West-Saxon by birth. 1

"The parish of St. Wenn [in Cornwall] seems to have derived its name from one of the large sainted family that came from Wales into Cornwall and Devon, and from whom so many parishes in each county have obtained their respective denominations. There in the deanery of Pyder, one valor points out Ecclesia Sanctae Wennae, as the other gives us Wen alias Wenman, that is Wenn's place; mann still signifying place in Welsh, once signifying it therefore in Cornish, and this church at Wenn's place being actually dedicated to St. Wenne." 2

Later some of the family branched into other areas of England as the Shrewsbury Burgess Roll includes an entry for: Robert, of Shrewsbury, silkweaver, son of Hugh ap William Wynne of Stansty, co. Denbigh, yeoman, 1626.

Early History of the Win family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Win research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1544, 1553, 1556, 1559, 1580, 1588, 1602, 1611, 1622, 1626, 1627, 1628, 1649, 1650, 1665, 1671, 1673, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1687, 1688, 1689, 1695, 1713, 1714, 1715, 1718, 1719, 1723, 1737, 1742, 1749, 1755, 1756, 1789 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Win History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Win Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Win has occasionally been spelled Wynne, Wynn, Wyn, Win, Gwynne, Gwynn, Winne, Winn, Gwinn, Gwinne and many more.

Early Notables of the Win family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Wynn ap Maredudd (died 1559), Head of the House of Aberffraw, High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire for 1544, 1553 and 1556; Maurice Wynn or Morys Wynn ap John of Gwydir (c. 1520-1580), Welsh courtier and politician who held the Gwydir estate; Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet (1553-1627), a Welsh baronet; Henry Wynn (c. 1602-1671), a Welsh politician; Sir Richard Wynn, 2nd Baronet (1588-1649), was an English courtier and politician; Sir John Wynn (d. 1626), 1st Baronet Wynn of Gwydir in 1611, and after this line became extinct; Robert Wynne (1622-1675)...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Win Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Win family to Ireland

Some of the Win family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Win migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Win

Win Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hugh Win, who landed in Virginia in 1623 3
Jon Win, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 3
John Win, who landed in Virginia in 1657 3
Stephen Win, who landed in Virginia in 1661 3

Win Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Win, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 3
Jacop Win, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1789 3

Win migration to Australia +

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

Win Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Eliza Win, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Inconstant" in 1849 4
Margaret Win, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Inconstant" in 1849 4
Mary Win, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Inconstant" in 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Win (post 1700) +

Win Brockmeyer (1907-1980), American football coach from Mankato, Minnesota
Win Elliot (1915-1998), American television and radio sportscaster and game show host
Win Ervin, American politician, Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, 1946 5
Win G. Knoch, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1944 6

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. 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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The INCONSTANT the Voyage - 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Inconstant.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html