Boy · #397 in 2026

Winston

Name: Popularity of the name Winston in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Winston, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Winston is a surname derived from Winstone, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Later, it developed as a male Christian name with the Churchill family, starting with Sir Winston Churchill in 1620, named for his mother Sarah's surname.

Current Rank

#397

Peak Rank

#234 (2019)

Total Babies

34K

5-Yr Trend

+2%

1914

First Year

2024

Last Year

2020

Peak Year

#8398

Peak Rank

162

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Winston

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Winston

Winston first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 860 Winstons were born — ranking #371 that year. As of 2026, Winston ranks #397 for baby boys with 816 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 34K Winstons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Winston

Phonetically similar names — useful when Winston is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Winstone
Winton
Weinstein
Winson
Whiston
Wingstem
Wintun
Weston
Westen
Wanton
Wonton
Winsome

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Winston

What does the name Winston mean?

How popular is Winston in 2026?

In 2026, Winston ranks #397 among boys' names in the U.S., with 816 babies given the name that year.

When was Winston most popular?

Winston reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking #234 that year with 860 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Winston most popular?

Winston has historically been most popular in Vermont, New Hampshire, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Winston.

Is Winston a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Winston is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Winston?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Winston include Benjiman, Cohen, Bud. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Winston

Winston is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Winston's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #234. Use the chart and map above to compare Winston's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.