Windle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Early Origins of the Windle family

The surname Windle was first found in Lancashire at Windle with Hardshaw, a township, in the parish and union of Prescot, hundred of West Derby. "Before the reign of John, Windhull gave name to a family, of whom was Edusa, widow of Alan de Windhull, who obtained from that king a summons for her dower against Alan de Windhull, son of the former." 1

By the reign of Edward III., the manor was held by William Boteler, but there is no record as to why the manor was lost. Another source shows in the year 1201, Alan de Windhull held estates at Windle.

The Manor of Skelmerdale in Lancashire proved to reveal some interesting details about the family. According to the Domesday Book, it was originally held by Uctred, who also held Dalton and Uplitherland. It was later part of the forest fee, held by the Gernet family.

Later, "there had been a sub-infeudation of the manor in favour of Alan de Windle, for in 1202 Edusa his widow claimed dower in this among other manors, which she released to Alan's son Alan, upon an assignment of her dower here and in other lands." 2 The Windle manor passed, like Windle itself, to the Burnhulls and Gerards by the 15th century.

Early History of the Windle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Windle research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Windle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Windle Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Windell, Windle, Windhull, Wyndel, Wyndell, Wyndle, Wyndhull, Windles, Wyndells and many more.

Early Notables of the Windle family

More information is included under the topic Early Windle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Windle Ranking

In the United States, the name Windle is the 8,516th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3


Windle migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Windle or a variant listed above:

Windle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Windle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Windle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Windle Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Windle migration to Australia +

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

Windle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Windle migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Windle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Windle (post 1700) +
Fastest Delivery Possible

Digital Products on Checkout, all other products filled in 1 business day

Money Back Guarantee

Yes, all products 100% Guraranteed

BBB A+ Rating

The Best Rating possible

Secure Online Payment

Entire site uses SSL / Secure Certificate