Contents [hide]

Wynn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Wynn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The old, proud name Welsh name Wynn 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 Wynn family

The surname Wynn 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, England] 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

Early records in Somerset, England list John atte Wenne in the Subsidy Rolls for 1316 and Walter atte Wen in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 3

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 Wynn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wynn 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 Wynn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wynn Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Wynn have included Wynne, Wynn, Wyn, Win, Gwynne, Gwynn, Winne, Winn, Gwinn, Gwinne and many more.

Early Notables of the Wynn 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), English-born, Virginia politician and landowner
Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet (1628-1719), a Welsh landowner and politician, High Sheriff of Denbighshire (1671-1673, High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire (1674-1675) and High Sheriff of Merionethshire (1675-...
John Wynne (1650-1714), a Welsh industrialist and politician, High Sheriff of Flintshire in 1695
Sir Thomas Wynn (1677-1749) was created the 1st Baronet Wynn of Bodvean, in 1742
John Wynne (1689-1718), of Melai, Denbighshire, a Welsh politician, Member of Parliament for Denbigh Boroughs (1713-1715)

Wynn Ranking

In the United States, the name Wynn is the 909^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Wynn family to Ireland

Some of the Wynn 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.

Wynn migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Wynn:

Wynn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joe Wynn, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Mr. Christopher Wynn, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 5
Methew Wynn, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 6
Hugh Wynn, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 6
Christopher Wynn, who landed in Virginia in 1638 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wynn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Luke Wynn, who landed in Virginia in 1701 6

Wynn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Wynn, aged 30, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1812 6
Joseph Wynn, who landed in New York in 1820 6

Wynn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wynn Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Henry Wynn, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Simon Wynn, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. William Wynn U.E. born in Dutchess County, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in Queenstown (Queenston), Niagara, Ontario 7

Wynn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richard Wynn, aged 27, who landed in Canada in 1823

Wynn migration to Australia +

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

Wynn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Wynn, (b. 1796), aged 22, English shoe maker who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1852 8
Mr. Edward Wynn, Welsh convict who was convicted in Mold, Flintshire, Wales for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. James Wynn, English convict who was convicted in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Jane Wynn, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
John Wynn, English convict from Somerset, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wynn 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:

Wynn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Wynn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Excelsior" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th March 1859 11
Miss Jane Wynn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Excelsior" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th March 1859, en route to New Plymouth 11
Charles Wynn, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
Mr. Wynn, British settler travelling from London via Cape ports aboard the ship "Pembroke Castle" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th November 1889 12

Wynn migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Wynn Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Richard Wynn, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Wynn (post 1700) +

Ed Wynn (1886-1966), born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, an Golden Globe, BAFTA Award and American Academy Award nominated comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, perhaps best remembered for his role as Uncle Albert in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964) and for voicing the Mad Hatter in Walt Disney's film, Alice in Wonderland
James Sherman Wynn (b. 1942), nicknamed the "Toy Cannon," American former Major League Baseball player who played from 1963 to 1977
Albert Russell Wynn (b. 1951), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland (1993-2008)
Steven Lawrence "Steve" Wynn (b. 1960), American songwriter and musician, lead singer of the band Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989
Stephen Alan "Steve" Wynn (b. 1942), American business magnate, Las Vegas casino resort developer, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Wynn Resorts
William "Will" Wynn (1949-2013), American NFL football defensive end
Keenan Wynn (1916-1986), American character actor
DeShawn Wynn (b. 1983), American NFL running back for the Green Bay Packers
Vasseure F. Wynn, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force then the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Barry Dean Wynn (b. 1945), American Republican politician, South Carolina Republican State Chair, 1991-93; Presidential Elector for South Carolina, 1992 14
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wynn family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Bert Wynn, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 15

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Leonard Thomas Wynn, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 16
Mr. Arthur Wynn, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 16

HMS Repulse

Mr. Herbert Wynn, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 17

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Peter Wynn, English Trimmer from Everton, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18

RMS Titanic

Mr. Walter Wynn, aged 41, English Quartermaster from Shirley, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 9 19

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
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html