Winchell

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surname of English origin that may refer to various notable individuals
2. An established last name that can be associated with prominent figures in journalism and entertainment
3. A family name that carries historical significance linked to various personalities in media and culture

Etymology: Winchell is a surname, and the best-known bearer is the American newspaper columnist and radio broadcaster Walter Winchell (1897–1972), whose name became a household word in the mid-twentieth century. The surname itself is English and topographic in origin, most likely from Old English words meaning a bend or corner in a hill or valley, combined with "ell" or "hill" elements found in many English place-names. Surnames of this kind were typically taken from a family's home ground, so the name points to a landscape rather than a particular ancestor. The name's reach beyond the family is down to Walter Winchell's fame. Because his gossip columns and broadcasts were read and heard by millions, "Winchell" became a shorthand for a sharp-tongued, scoop-hunting columnist, and writers and comedians of his era used it in that sense. Its spread through the language rests entirely on that one man's public career rather than on any linguistic change to the word itself.