Winfrey
A surname from the old personal name Winefrith, meaning roughly “friend of peace” or “friend of victory,” depending on how the first element is interpreted.
The #5,187 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,808 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Winfrey is generally treated as a surname formed from the old personal name Winefrith, recorded in medieval English. The first element is usually taken from Old English wine, meaning “friend”; the second element is from frith, meaning “peace” or “protection.” In older scholarship, the name can be understood as a compound personal name rather than a descriptive nickname or occupation.
History
The surname appears to have developed from the medieval given name rather than from a place-name or trade. It is one of a group of English surnames that preserve old Anglo-Saxon personal names in altered modern forms. The spelling Winfrey is relatively uncommon today, with most modern bearers found in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same old name appears in historical forms that also produced the saint’s name Winifred, which helped keep the root visible in English surname history.
From the historical record
“Wynn has three origins, Welsh gwyn, white, fair, AS. wine, friend, or the same word as an element in such personal names as Winfrey, Winward, etc. (p. 43). Hogg is a nickname [Alice le Hog, Hund. R.], B. variant of Hough? i.e. hill [Richard del Hog, Writs of Parl.], a 1 In the north Law.”
— SurnamesNotable people named Winfrey
- Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.