Winton

This is an Anglo-Scottish locational surname recorded as De Winton, and Winton. The English surname has its origin in any one of the three places called Winton, in the counties of Lancashire, Westmoreland and the North Riding of Yorkshire. The first mentioned, recorded as "Wythynton" in the 1284 pipe rolls of Lancashire derives its name from the Olde English pre 7th Century "withig" meaning a willow wood, plus "tun", a farm or settlement. Willow was widely used for many purposes and the name suggests that the settlement may have 'farmed' the willow. Winton in Westmoreland, recorded as "Wyntuna" in the year 1090 is from the word "winn", meaning a pasture, whilst the Yorkshire Winton is recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book of 1086 and translates as "Wina's tun". The Scottish Wintons derive their name from the lands of Winton in the parish of Pencaitland, East Lothian. Early examples of the name recording include Alan de Wintoun of Soltre, Scotland in 1214, whilst Nicholas de Wynton was a witness at the Colchester, Essex, assize court in 1277 and Richard Winton in the 1524 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Winton, which was dated 1202, a witness in the assize court rolls of Yorkshire, during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.