Wind (surname)

Wind
Pronunciation/ˈwɪnd/
Language(s)Old English
Origin
Meaning"speedy as wind"
Region of originEngland
Other names
Variant form(s)Wynde

Wind is a topographical surname, of English origin, for someone who lived near a pathway, alleyway, or road.[1][2] It is most popular in North East England, especially in Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland.[3] The surname is also popular in the Netherlands and Denmark. The surname has several spellings including Waind, Wind, Wynd, Wain and Wean.[4]

Origins

Wind originates from the pre-7th century Old English gewind. It describes either a person who lived in a particularly windy area such as North East England or a "winding" road. In medieval times Wind was possibly given to a speedy runner or messenger.

The surname Wind was first found in Lancashire, a ceremonial county in North West England, 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."[5]

Incidence, frequency and rank in area

According to Forebears.io, the highest incidence of the Wind surname can be found in the United States, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.[6]

Caption text
Country Incidence Frequency Rank in area
United States 3,778 1:95,939 10,736
Germany 3,135 1:25,680 3,398
the Netherlands 2,868 1:3,336 636
Denmark 1,692 1:3,336 281

Notable people with the surname

  • Alex Wind (born 2001), American student activist
  • Cornelis Wind (1867–1911), Dutch physicist
  • Diana Wind (born 1957), Dutch art historian
  • Dorothy Wind, American baseball player
  • Edgar Wind (1900–1971), British historian
  • Edmund De Wind (1883–1918), Canadian/Irish war hero
  • Franz Ludwig Wind (1719–1989), Swiss sculptor
  • Hans Wind (1919–1995), Finnish World War II flying ace
  • Harmen Wind (1945–2010), Dutch poet
  • Henning Wind (born 1937), Danish competitive sailor
  • Herbert Warren Wind (1916–2005), American writer
  • John Wind (1819–1863), English architect
  • Jonas Wind (born 1999), Danish footballer
  • Kim Wind (born 1957), Danish rower
  • Marlene Wind (born 1963), Danish political scientist
  • Per Wind (born 1955), Danish footballer
  • Per Wind (born 1947), Danish rower
  • Pierre Wind (born 1965), Dutch chef
  • Susie Wind (born 1968), American visual artist
  • Tommy Wind, American illusionist
  • Willie Wind (1913–1995), American artist

References

  1. ^ Percy Hide Reaney; Richard Middlewood Wilson (1991). A Dictionary of English Surnames. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 1784–. ISBN 978-0-415-05737-0. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Wind Family History". Ancestry.com.
  3. ^ "Distribution of the surname Wind in the UK". UK Surname Map.
  4. ^ "Wind". Surname Data Base.
  5. ^ "Wind Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". January 2000.
  6. ^ "Wind Surname". Forebears.io. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  • National Trust, 2007. "What do the statistics in the geographical location and social demographic tables mean?"
  • United States Census Bureau (9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved on 25 February 2008.
Surname list
This page lists people with the surname Wind.
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