Winchurch Family History

Apparently an irregular development of an earlier surname Winchurst occurring as Wincehurst or Wyncehurst in its earliest forms suggesting a possible locative origin from a lost place named with Old English wince ‘winch pulley’ also ‘bend in a river or valley’ + hyrst ‘small hill mound copse’ though this cannot be certain without any medieval bearers; none can be found.

The surnames Winchurst and Winchurch were both concentrated in Dudley (Staffs) during the 17th and 18th centuries.