Wentworth

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family surname carried by several historical figures in England and elsewhere ; a place name given to towns and localities in Britain, North America and Australia
2. A surname passed down through English families and borne by various notable people ; a name shared by towns and districts in several English-speaking countries
3. Used as a family name for a number of historical individuals ; also the name of several towns and localities across Britain, North America and Australia

Etymology: Wentworth is a surname and place name rather than a word with a dictionary sense, and its origin points to a pair of possible sources. One is the Old English byname "Wintra," a personal name, and the other is the combination of "winter," meaning the cold season, with "worþ," meaning an enclosure or homestead. Both roots suggest a settlement or landholding, and the name was attached to people and places in England long before it became a family name. The two proposed sources are not equally settled, so the reading to keep in mind is that the name may come from a person's byname or from a descriptive place name built from "winter" and "worþ." Because the surname and the village names share this root, it is hard to say which came first, and the evidence in the source does not decide the matter.