Winfrey Family History

English:: from the Middle English male personal name Winfrey probably an Anglo-Norman French form of ancient Germanic Winefrid Winefred although it could alternatively be a survival of the rare early Old English name Winefrith or the equally rare Old English Wynfryth.

Winefrid and Winefrith are composed of Germanic words for ‘friend’ and ‘peace’ while the first element of Wynfryth is Old English wynn ‘joy’.

Alternatively perhaps a variant of Winford a habitational name from Winfrith Newburgh (Dorset) but Winfrey is chiefly found in eastern England (especially Lincolnshire) from the 16th century onward.