Surname Wintemute - Meaning and Origin
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Wintemute: What does the surname Wintemute mean?
The name Wintemute is an English surname, derived from the Old English words “winter” and “moot”, with “moot” referring to a gathering or assembly, usually referring to a court or legal gathering. The name literally means “winter assembly,” so those who may have used the name in earlier times likely held a high rank and position of authority.
The prevalence of the name in the United Kingdom is low, with mainly families in Hampshire, East Sussex, and Wiltshire, which are mainly of English origin. In the United States, however, the name is much more commonplace, especially in the Midwest, where it may have been derived from the Dutch surname Wintemuth or Wintemud.
The presence of the name in colonial America dates back to the 1600’s, with Johannes Wintemut, a Dutch immigrant who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1650, being the earliest occurrence found thus far. It's also theorized that the name may have had Germanic origins, as the spelling and pronunciation of the first syllable are nearly identical to the German word for "winter."
No matter where it originated from, the name Wintemute is suggestive of a figure of influence and faithfulness, and there is no doubt that all who bare the name carry on the proud traditions of its earliest bearers.
Order DNA origin analysisWintemute: Where does the name Wintemute come from?
The last name Wintemute is most common in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth nations. It is a relatively rare surname, with the vast majority of its modern bearers living in England and Wales, however, there are also some bearers of the name in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The origin of the surname is believed to be Anglo-Saxon, appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Wintimente." The surname is thought to derive from Old English or Anglo-Saxon sources, with the first element being "wint," which is likely derived from the Old English words for winter ("wintre") or wine ("wince"). The second element may come from "mete," which is thought to denote a portion of land or a possession. The name would then be interpreted to mean "possession in winter," perhaps referring to a winter homestead or perhaps a house on the edge of a common.
The Wintemute surname is currently most common in regions of southern England such as East Anglia, the East Midlands, and the West Midlands. Perhaps coincidentally, these are also the areas where there were known to be a high concentration of bearers of the Wintemute name during the Domesday Book period, indicating its long-standing presence in the region. It is also known to be fairly well represented in North America, especially in the United States, Canada, and Jamaica.
Variations of the surname Wintemute
The surname Wintemute can be spelled in many ways, including Wintemoot, Windemuth, Wintemood, Wintermout, Windmoot, Wintemut, and Windmuth.
Variations on the spelling of Wintemute can be found in many countries. In England, variants of the name appear as Winternoot and Wyntemoot. In Scotland, there are several spelling variations including Wyntmoot, Wintemude, and Wyntemud. In the United States, common spellings are Windemoot, Windemote, Wintemote, and Wintemut.
Wintemute is believed to be a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the father’s given name. It is a corruption of the Old Dutch name “winthmuth” or “winthmut,” which derives from the Germanic personal name “Winthmut.”
Related surnames include Winten, Winter, Wintor, and Winterman. These variants have appeared in countries such as Germany, Scotland, and England.
Finally, there are several variants of the Wintemute surname which are common in North America, such as Wintering, Whentmead, Winterman, Wilding, and Wintersmooth. All of these spellings still point to Wintemute as their original ancestor.
Famous people with the name Wintemute
- Gregory Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine and founding director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis.
- Robert Wintemute, Professor Emeritus of Human Rights Law at Kings College London.
- Agnes Wintemute, a theoretical physicist and professor emerita of natural sciences at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
- Lawrence Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine and director of the Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis.
- Ernie Wintemute, a South African-born funk and soul musician.
- Graham Wintemute, an English artist who works in printmaking, painting, and sculpture.
- Gordon Wintemute, writer and lecturer at the University of California, Davis.
- Harry Wintemute, a successful legal scholar, professor, and human rights advocate.
- David Wintemute, former hockey player for the Ontario Hockey Association.
- Sacha Wintemute, a British filmmaker and director.