Wentworth
An English place-name surname meaning “Winta’s estate” or, more simply, a farmstead or settlement associated with a man named Winta.
The #4,428 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,483 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wentworth comes from the English place-name Wentworth, especially the one in Yorkshire. The name is generally analyzed as Old English personal name Winta + worth, meaning an enclosed farm, estate, or settlement. Older forms recorded in medieval and Domesday sources support this interpretation, though some 19th-century writers noted the first element may ultimately be older or less certain than the second.
History
The surname was taken from the place-name by people who left Wentworth or were identified with that estate. Historical notes in the sources suggest the Yorkshire family of Wentworth was established early and later became prominent, including the line that produced the earls of Strafford. The name spread strongly in England and later to America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval spellings of the place-name include forms like Winteworde and Wynteworthe, showing how much English spelling could drift before standardization.
From the historical record
“Cp. Wend(e. WENTWORTH (Eng.) Bel. to Wentworth (Yorks : 14th cent. Wynt(e)morth, Domes- day Winteworde ; Cambs : a.d. 1428 Wynteworthe (Skeat, ' PI. Names Camb.,' p. 27), Domesday Winteworde), A.-Sax. *Wintanwor'S = Winta's Farm or Estate [Winta — the name of one of the early descendants of Woden — is app. not a…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)