| Pronunciation | /ˈwɪnd/ |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Old English |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | "speedy as wind" |
| Region of origin | England |
| 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]
| 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
- Stefanie Wind, American linguist[7]
- Susie Wind (born 1968), American visual artist
- Tommy Wind, American illusionist
- Willie Wind (1913–1995), American artist
References
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Wind Family History". Ancestry.com.
- ↑ "Distribution of the surname Wind in the UK". UK Surname Map.
- ↑ "Wind". Surname Data Base.
- ↑ "Wind Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms".
- ↑ "Wind Surname". Forebears.io. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ↑ "Stefanie Wind – The University of Alabama". The University of Alabama. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
External links
- 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.