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![Show Contents]() Winther History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient German region of the Rhineland, gave birth to the family name of Winther. At first, people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in the Rhineland. Among the most common forms of surname found in the Rhineland are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Winther was a name for a person of a sad or melancholy nature. The surname Winther originally derived from the Old German word "wintar" or "wintra" which literally referred to a "wet season." Early Origins of the Winther familyThe surname Winther was first found in the Rhineland, especially the provinces of Westphalia and the Palatinate, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. Early History of the Winther familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winther research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1653, 1681, 1768, 1770, 1793, 1799 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Winther History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Winther Spelling VariationsIn the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Winther include Winter, Winters, Winterer, Wintere, Winterle and many more. Early Notables of the Winther familyAnother 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winther Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Winther migration to the United States | + |
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Winther, or one of its variants above:
Winther Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Henrich Winther, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 1
- Philip Friederich Winther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 1
- Samuel Winther, who landed in America in 1751 1
Winther Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Amalea Winther, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Winther (post 1700) | + |
- Sophus Keith Winther (1893-1983), Danish-born, American professor and novelist
- Richard "Wimpy" Winther (b. 1947), American former National Football League center
- Ragnar Winther (b. 1949), Norwegian mathematician
- Sara Winther, New Zealand sports sailor at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Jens Winther (1960-2011), Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader
- Ellen Winther Lembourn (1933-2011), Danish opera singer and actress
- Rasmus Villads Christian Ferdinand Winther (1796-1876), Danish lyric poet
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: Majorum servari virtute
Motto Translation: The greater the power of the observed
- 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)
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Winther migration to the United States 
England
Germany
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