Wynters History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The earliest origins of the family name Wynters date back to the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name given to a person born in the wintertime having derived from the Old English word wintar, meaning wet season. 1

Early Origins of the Wynters family

The surname Wynters was first found in Gloucestershire.

"The natural seasons gave personal names in the same way. ' Summer and Winter are both ancient names; in the Cod. Dip. Alamannioe there are two brothers called respectively Sumar and Winter, A.D. 858. Winter was also the name of one of the companions of Hereward the Saxon. 'Although a pre - Norman personal name, Winter survived the Conquest, and attained hereditary honours as a surname in the 13th cent. " 2

Another source postulates "most probably the Old English personal name Wintra (A.D. 699) and Uuintra (A.D. 704), associated in the popular mind with Old English winter, 'winter'. " 3

And another notes "Winter was the name of one of the companions of the Anglo-Saxon Hereward, and Winter and Sommer are both German and modern Danish names. " 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Wynter Mariot in Norfolk and Gelle Winter in Cambridgeshire, so as you can see the name was in use as both a forename and surname from very early times. 2

Further to the north in Scotland, "Elsi, son of Winter, had a grant of the lands of Thirlstane from Hugh de Morville before 1162. Jop Wyntyr was a charter witness at Yester in 1374. " 3

Early History of the Wynters family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wynters research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1162, 1379, 1447, 1452, 1474, 1487, 1488, 1494, 1572, 1589, 1600, 1603, 1606, 1622, 1645, 1646, 1661, 1665, 1666, 1668, 1673, 1686 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wynters History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wynters Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wynters include Winter, Winters, Wynter and others.

Early Notables of the Wynters family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Winter or Wintour (1572-1606), an English conspirator, the younger brother of Robert Winter of Huddington, Worcestershire. "They were descended from Wintor, the castellan of Carnarvon, their name being originally Gwyntou. The family settled at Wych in the reign of Edward I, and there remained till Roger Wintor in the reign of Henry VI married the coheiress of Huddington and Cassy. George Winter, the father of Robert and Thomas by his first wife, Jane Ingleby, was the son of Robert Winter of Cavewell, Gloucestershire. " 5 Admiral Sir William Winter or Wynter (d. 1589)...
Another 112 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wynters Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wynters family to Ireland

Some of the Wynters family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wynters family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Winter, who settled in Maine in 1616; four years before the "Mayflower"; Robert Winter settled in Virginia in 1616; four years before the ".

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print