Surname de Wyntoun - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'D'
de Wyntoun: What does the surname de Wyntoun mean?
The last name de Wyntoun is of Scottish origin; it comes from the old barony of Winton in East Lothian, Scotland. The name essentially means 'from Winton.' The 'de' in the name is an Old French term used in names to denote place of origin or residence, similar to 'von' in German or 'van' in Dutch. The spelling 'Wyntoun' is an old and less common variant of 'Winton,' but it has the same connection to the place. The 'Winton' part of the name itself is believed to mean 'pasture town' in Old English, with 'win' meaning pasture and 'tun' meaning town or settlement. Therefore, the surname de Wyntoun can be loosely translated to mean 'from the pasture town.' The use of geographic names as surnames was fairly common in Medieval Europe, as it helped distinguish between individuals with the same first name. ReferentialAction
Order DNA origin analysisde Wyntoun: Where does the name de Wyntoun come from?
The surname de Wyntoun is generally believed to have originated from the historical region of Wyntoun in Scotland. The surname was commonly found in the region of Strathearn where the lords of Wyntoun clan possessed lands. Today, the surname de Wyntoun can still be found primarily in Scotland, but there have been instances of it appearing in England, Canada, and the United States.
In Scotland, the concentration of de Wyntoun is mainly in and around the Strathearn area. Here, there is often a clan tartan associated with the family name. However, there are also some bearer of the name in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as Wester Ross and Skye. Outside Scotland, the surname can be found in England, particularly in Greater London, and in many parts of Canada, especially on Vancouver Island. Finally, the surname also appears in the United States, particularly in New York.
Given its long and noble Scottish pedigree, de Wyntoun is a family name with an association to the old Highlands and a surname of which many people of Scottish descent can be proud. As such, it will likely remain common in Scotland, as well as England, Canada, and the United States, for generations to come.
Variations of the surname de Wyntoun
The surname de Wyntoun is an old Scottish name and is derived from the Barony of Flowers near Forfar, Scotland. The spelling variations of the name include Duff Wintoun, Do Winstown, Duffintoun, Dowintoun, Duffintoune, Dowintoune, Downton, Downtoun, Wintoun, Wyntoun, Wynstown, Wynstoun, Wynstoune, Winsted and Winstone.
The de Wyntoun family were an influential power in Scotland during the late Middle Ages and could trace their ancestry back to Sir David de Wyntoun of Do ACCORD who was a descendant of Walter De Wyntoun.
Surnames of the same origin include ‘de’, which translates to ‘of’ and is a tribal or regional name. In addition, the surnames ‘duff’ and ‘dow’ are derived from the Gaelic and Norman languages and mean ‘dark’ and ‘darkened hill’ respectively.
The variants of the surname de Wyntoun due to its various spelling changes over time also include Duffleton, Duffin, Down, Duo, Dowitt, Downtime, Downton, Wintle, Winters, Wynton and Wynter. These can all be traced back to the original spelling of de Wyntoun.
The Wyntoun family remained a powerful force in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages and their influence can still be seen today, reflected in the various variant spellings of their surname.
Famous people with the name de Wyntoun
- Patrick de Wyntoun: was a late 14th, early 15th century Scots frieze of unknown origin; his only known work is the Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, a long historical verse narrative in Middle Scots, probably written in the 1440s and 1450s.
- John de Wyntoun: was a 14th century Scottish writer. He wrote a verse chronicle of the Alexander legends, a translation of the boke of the Guild of St Mary's, and some shorter pieces of historical allusions.
- Christine de Pisan: a 15th and 16th century French poet and author, was the step-daughter of John de Wyntoun.
- Artemisia de Wyntoun: was a sixteenth-century Scottish poet.
- William de Wyntoun: was a late fifteenth-century Scottish poet. He is credited with writing "The Cronykil of Scotland," an early manuscript of Scottish history.
- Charles de Wyntoun- was a noted French historian of the 17th century. He is most noted for his "History of the Reigns of the Kings of Scotland" which was published in 1646.
- John de Wyntoun of Ascheoct: was a Scottish knight in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He is best remembered for the "Lament of John de Wyntoun," an elegy written about the death of John III, Earl of Carrick.
- Martha de Wyntoun: was a mid-16th century Scottish poet and noblewoman. She wrote a number of religious and poetic works, such as the "Paean of Martha de Wyntoun.”
- Anne de Wyntoun: was a Scottish poet of the 16th century, best known for her long religious poem, the "Alexandrine.”