Winkler
A German surname meaning someone who lived by a corner, nook, or small shop-stall.
The #1,640 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,038 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Winkler comes from German winkel, meaning a corner, nook, or small enclosed place. The surname likely began as a topographic name for someone living at or near such a place, and in some contexts it was also used for a small shopkeeper or stallholder. The ending -er is a common German agent or inhabitant suffix, so the name literally means something like 'person of the corner/nook.'
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and appears in many regional surname lists and dictionaries. Historical writers also note related forms such as Winkel and Winkelmann, showing that the same place-word generated several surname types. In German emigrant communities the name spread widely, which is why it is common in the modern United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older sources gloss Winkler as both 'dweller in the corner' and, by extension, a small trader or stallkeeper.
From the historical record
“WERNHER; [see Warner' in Diet.] WINKLER (Ger.) Dweller in the Corner or Nook [f. Ger. winkel, M.H.Ger. winkel, O.H.Ger. winkil, corner, &c. -)- the agent. suff. -CT-] WIRTH (Ger.) Landlord ; Tavern- or Res- taurant-Keeper [M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. wiri\ WOHLGEMUTH (Ger.) Joyous, Gay [Ger.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)