WINKLEY. AAaNCKLEY. There is a parish so called in Devonshire, but the family appear to have originated at AVinckley Hall, an estate in the township of Aighton, parish of Mitton, co. Lancaster. In the Coucher-Book of the neighbouring abbey of AVhalley, the name of Robert de AVynkedelegh occurs in 4. Edward I., and the family continued to reside at AA'inckley until the XVII. century. The name appears in Lincolnshire about the middle of the XA''I. century, and there is a tradition that the AVinkleys of that county are descended from one of the Lancashire house, who, during some civil or religious commotion, narrowly escaped with his life, and took refuge there. The name has been variously written De AA'ynkedelegh, AVynkley, AViuckley, and AAinkley. With regard to the first orthography, it is curious to observe that, in the Coucher-Book referred to, the apparently unnecessary middle syllable de occurs m several local surnames. For instance Dinckley is written De Dynkedelegh, and what is now AVorsley, De AA'orkedelegh. AVhether this syllable belongs etymologically to the names, or is a caprice of the scribe, I know not.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.