Winfield

Recorded as Winfield and Wingfield, is English. It is of locational origin from any of the various places now called Wingfield in Bedfordshire, Derbyshire and Suffolk. Wingfield in Bedfordshire, first recorded as "Winfeld" in circa 1200 may be derived from the Olde English "wince" a "reel or pulley" or it may be a bird name from the Olde English for lapwing "(hleap) wince", with "feld", meadow. Wingfield in North Derbyshire was first recorded as "Wynnefeld" in 1002 and derives from the Olde English "winn", "meadow" plus "feld", hence "meadow or grazing ground". Wingfield in Suffolk was first recorded as "Wingefeld" in circa 1035 and derives from the Olde English meaning "the feld of the people of Wiga" or its first element may be a derivative of the Olde English "weoh", "pagan temple". Early examples of the surname recording include Dorothy Winfield who was christened on February 25th 1637 at St. Bride's Fleet Street, and John Wingfield who was christened at St James Clerkenwell, on July 15th 1804, both in the city of London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nicholas de Wynefeld. This was dated 1228, in the Curia Regis Rolls, during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.