Winslow

Meaning of Winslow

Winslow, a toponymic surname turned given name, derives from the Old English elements “wine,” meaning “friend,” and “hlāw,” denoting “hill” or “burial mound,” a construction originally designating inhabitants of the Buckinghamshire village recorded in the Domesday Book as Wineslai; re-contextualized in contemporary Anglo-American usage, the name now functions as a stylistically fluid, unisex choice. Its cultural resonance is quietly reinforced by associations with the eminent nineteenth-century American painter Winslow Homer, whose realist seascapes impart an aura of disciplined artistry, and by the Pilgrim leader Edward Winslow of Mayflower fame, whose diplomatic acumen in early colonial Massachusetts contributes a historical gravitas. Although Winslow has never attained mainstream ubiquity, United States vital-statistics data reveal a gradual yet steady ascent—from a mere five recorded births in 2010 to 148 in 2024—suggesting a pattern of measured adoption among parents who favor names that confer both venerable pedigree and understated distinctiveness.