64%RatingSave Gender Masculine & Feminine Usage English (Rare) Pronounced Pron. WIN-zər [key·IPA] Meaning & History From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917. Categories British royal family, isograms, place names, surnames