Wingfield Genealogy Pages

The surname of Wingfield is derived from the residence of its first bearers at a place so called in England, there being several townships and parishes so named in the counties of Suffolk, Derbyshire, and Wiltshire. The name itself, is of several possible origins, since the person names of Wina or Winne, Winga, Wineca and Winefel were all combined in early times with the suffix feld or field to make the place named of Wingfield, Winfield, and Winkfield, all of which are used interchangeably in the early records. Surnames in England came from eight basic sources: characteristics (like Short), nicknames, Christian names, patronymics (like Robinson), occupa­tions (Smith), one’s “master’s” name, the name of one’s father’s Manor (es­tate), or — 50 to 75% of them – from a location. These locative names were used until c.1400 preceded by “de” (“of” or “from”), and “atte” (“at the”). Normally only one family at any one time took their surname from the same place. From the mid-1200s to the mid-1300s a man from Wingfield, when he had moved away, might call himself “de Wingfield”. Names were often corrupted ; and our Wingfield ancestors spelt the name in about 150 ways! Descendants of the Irish and English Wingfields have immigrated to New Zealand, Australia, United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Costa Rica, Germany and undoubtedly many other places of which we have no knowledge.

The Wingfield Family Society was founded in the Commonwealth of Virginia of the United States of America on 24 July 1987. While there are many regional Wingfield reunions held periodically throughout North America and in England, this is the first Society formed to encompass all Wingfield families into a single worldwide genealogical organization. In addition to those living in the USA, Canada, and United Kingdom, there are also members in Australia, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa.

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