Wind (surname) explained
| Wind |
| Meaning: | "speedy as wind" |
| Language: | Old English |
| Variant: | 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
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Percy Hide Reaney. Richard Middlewood Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. 19 December 2012. 1991. Taylor & Francis Group. 978-0-415-05737-0. 1784–.
- Web site: Wind Family History. Ancestry.com.
- Web site: Distribution of the surname Wind in the UK. UK Surname Map.
- Web site: Wind. Surname Data Base.
- Web site: Wind Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms. January 2000 .
- Web site: Wind Surname. Forebears.io. 12 April 2021.
