Show ContentsWinceelo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Winceelo date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Buckinghamshire. The family name Winceelo is derived from the Old English personal name Wine, meaning friend, and the Old English word hlaw, meaning hill or mound, and means that the original bearer of the name lived near a hill owned by someone name Wine.1

Early Origins of the Winceelo family

The surname Winceelo was first found in Buckinghamshire, at Winslow, today a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Cottesloe with a population today of about 4,500. The town dates back to 795, when it was listed as Wineshlauu as land given by King Offa to the Abbey of St. Alban's. Years later in the Domesday Book, it was listed as Weneslai, land held by the Bishop of Lisieux and at that time was in the Murley Hundred and the manor there belonged to the Church of St. Alban. 2

Apart from being the source of this distinguished family's heritage, the market-town and parish of Winslow was well known in the 1800s for another reason which would be quite out of place today. "The white poppy was so successfully grown here, in 1821, as to produce 60lb. of opium, worth at least £75, from four acres, and 143lb. in the next year from eleven acres; for which, on both occasions, the prize of 30 guineas was awarded by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce." 3

Early History of the Winceelo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winceelo research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1607, 1620, 1633, 1636, 1644, 1655 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Winceelo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winceelo Spelling Variations

Winceelo has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Winceelo have been found, including Winslow, Winselow, Winsloe and others.

Early Notables of the Winceelo family

Notables of the family at this time include Edward Winslow (1595-1655), an English Pilgrim leader on the Mayflower who served as the 3rd, 6th and 10th Governor of Plymouth Colony in 1633, 1636, and finally in 1644. Born at Droitwich, near Worcester, he was the grandson of Kenelm Winslow (d. 1607) of Kempsey. "In July 1620, with his wife and three servants, he sailed from Delft Haven in the Speedwell to...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winceelo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winceelo family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Winceelos to arrive on North American shores: Sarah Winsloe who settled in Virginia in 1685; Edward Winslow who settled in Hingham Massachusetts in 1633; Edward Winslow settled in Maine in 1622; Gilbert Winslow settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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