Winston comes from an English surname and place name, usually explained as the Old English wynnstan, "joy stone", or as "Wynn's settlement". Winston Churchill made it known around the world, and the Winston of Orwell's 1984 is its most famous fictional bearer. The name has sat in the US top 1000 throughout this century, rising from number 704 in 2000 to a peak of number 372 in 2019 and ranking number 382 in 2025.