This unusual and interesting name has two possible origins, the first of which is a medieval topographical name denoting residence at or by a spot on a river where boats were hauled up onto the land by means of Pulleys, derived from the Middle English word "Winche", meaning "reel, roller", in Olde English pre 7th Century, "Wince". It could also denote residence by a "Well-Wheel", a later meaning of "Wince" and "Winche" and further, was sometimes taken to mean, in a transferred sense, "a sharp bend in a river or valley", and thus residence at such a place. The second possible origin of the name is from a medieval nickname from the lapwing, from the Olde English "(LLeap) wince, lapwing. There are a number of variants, ranging from "Wince" and "Winch" to "Wink" and "Wynch". Elizabeth Wince and Charles Gay were married in London in October 1831. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de la Winche, which was dated 1275, The Worcestershire Subsidy Rolls, during the reign of King Edward I, The Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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