This name is of English locational origin from a place in Hampshire called Winslade. Recorded variously as "Winesflot" in the Domesday Book of 1086, as "Winesflode" in Charters relating to Selborne, dated 1270, and as "Wynnesfloud" circa 1270 in Episcopal Registers of that county, the first element is the genitive case of the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Wine", related to "wynn", joy, plus "flode", a channel or stream; hence, "Wine's stream". The surname is particularly well recorded in Hampshire Church Registers from the mid 16th Century. On October 20th 1554, Ellen Winslade, an infant, was christened in Bentley and Annis Winslad was christened in Old Alresford on March 29th 1561. The variant spelling Winslet was recorded in Old Alresford (1598) with Winslett and Winslade appearing in registers of Binsted near Alton in 1728 and 1744 respectively. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Winslade, which was dated 1550, marriage to Grace Smith at Old Alresford, Hampshire, during the reign of King Edward V1, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. 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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