Winston

Meaning: Its source is Wynnstan, an Old English name meaning "Joyful stone."

Nicknames: Win and Winnie

Source Forms: Wynnstan

Popularity: The name Winston ranked 805th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 481st in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: In the Middle Ages Wynnstan changed in use from a personal name to a place name. With the modern form of that place name in mind, the future Prime Minister of Great Britain was christened Winston Spencer Churchill in 1874. (His mother's family had connections to the region.)

While this introduced Winston for personal use in the 20th century, it has not enjoyed widespread popularity. As in the cases of Patrick among the Irish and Victoria among the British, certain famous people create such strong associations with their name that parents are reluctant to choose it for their children during or close to the famous person's life time.

Will 21st century parents choose it more often, attracted by its namesake's reputation for courage and eloquence?

Leadership

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (born 1874, died 1965)
British statesman, author and historian. Led the United Kingdom through much of World War II.
- British prime minister, 1940-45, 1951-55 (see list of Miscellaneous Political Leaders)
- Master statesman (see list of Twenty people who helped define the political and social fabric of the 20th century)

Miscellaneous

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (born 1874, died 1965)
British statesman, author and historian. Led the United Kingdom through much of World War II.
- 1940, 1949 Time Magazine Man of the Year (see list of Time Magazine's Man of the Year Honorees)

Science and Philosophy

Winston E. Scott (born 1950)
American astronaut.
- Astronaut on Endeavour (1996), Columbia (1997) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)

Stage and Screen

Winston Ntshona
- 1975 Tony Award winner for his performance in The Island (see list of Tony winners for Best Actor in a Play)

The Literary World

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (born 1874, died 1965)
British statesman, author and historian. Led the United Kingdom through much of World War II.
- 1953 Nobel Prize winner for Literature (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature)