Show ContentsWinkler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Winkler Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Winkler

What does the name Winkler mean?

The distinguished surname Winkler emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Winkler family originally lived in the settlement of Wynkel in Flanders. The surname Winkler belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, or other places. Alternatively the name could have been a nickname referring to "the winkle" as in a periwinkle.

Early Origins of the Winkler family

The surname Winkler was first found in Cheshire at Wincle, a chapelry, in the parish of Prestbury, union and hundred of Macclesfield. 1 The parish dates back to c. 1190 when it was known as Winchul and literally meant "hill of a man called Wineca or by a bend," from the Old English personal name or "wince" + "hill." 2

On of the first records of the name was "Winchul" c. 1200 in East Cheshire. 3 Later, we found John le Wenchel listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1271 in Buckinghamshire. 4

"The Wintles of Gloucester and its neighbourhood probably possess an ancestor in Christopher Windle, who was incumbent of the parish of Side in 1592 (A.). The Wintles were influential Gloucester citizens last century; at the same time there was a family of the name in Long Hope. This surname may hail originally from the north, Windle being the name of a Lancashire township and Windhill of a district in the West Riding." 5

Early History of the Winkler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winkler research. Another 41 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1753, 1756, 1759, 1767, 1768, 1774 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Winkler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winkler 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 Winkler, Winkle, Windle, Winkel, Wynkler, Wynkle and others.

Early Notables of the Winkler family

William Winkel of Cheshire. Thomas Wintle (died 1814), was a Member of the University of Oxford having matriculated on 26 March, 1753, aged 15. He was a scholar, B.A. 1756, fellow...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winkler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winkler Ranking

the United States, the name Winkler is the 1,686th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Winkler family to Ireland

Some of the Winkler family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winkler migration to the United States +

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

Winkler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anna Catarina Winkler, aged 43, who arrived in South Carolina in 1732 7
  • Frederick Winkler, aged 3, who landed in South Carolina in 1732 7
  • Jaque Winkler, aged 19, who arrived in South Carolina in 1732 7
  • Luis Winkler, aged 6, who arrived in South Carolina in 1732 7
  • Jacob Winkler, who arrived in South Carolina in 1735 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Winkler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jakob Winkler, who landed in Texas in 1844 7
  • Johanna Winkler, who landed in New York in 1850 7
  • Kreszentia Epple Winkler, who landed in America in 1850 7
  • Eduard Winkler, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
  • Gottwald Winkler, who settled in Philadelphia in 1850
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Winkler Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Christine Winkler, aged 24, who landed in America in 1900 7
  • Carolina Winkler, aged 20, who landed in America in 1900 7
  • Anastasia Winkler, aged 48, who arrived in America in 1900 7
  • Phillip Winkler, aged 50, who landed in America in 1900 7
  • Margretha Winkler, aged 15, who arrived in America in 1900 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Winkler (post 1700) +

  • Henry Winkler OBE (b. 1945), American Golden Globe and Daytime Emmy Award winning actor, director, producer, and author, probably best known for his role as "The Fonz" in the 1970s sitcom Happy Days
  • Irwin Winkler (b. 1931), American Academy Award and BAFTA Award winning film producer and director, known for his films Rocky, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Raging Bull, The Right Stuff and Goodfellas
  • Andrew Winkler, American mathematician and inventor
  • John M. Winkler, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Oregon, 1956 8
  • Harry Winkler, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 1944 9
  • Frederick C. Winkler (b. 1838), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1868; Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1872 9
  • Frank J. Winkler, American Republican politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Calumet County, 1902 9
  • Elmer Winkler, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 1st District, 1952 9
  • Edward P. Winkler, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Maryland 4th District, 1968 9
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bismarck
  • Kurt Winkler (1920-1941), German Funkgefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 9
  • Franz Winkler (1922-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10
  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details

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