The Winter surname orginates in Germany. It was variously written Winter or Winters. A specific birthdate for William is not known. Only colonial documents show that he was from Nordhofen in Rhineland-Pfaltz. The family appears to have come over Sept 1726. Winter was a name of one of the original Ramapo tract patentees, which became the area around Tappan and Clarkstown, Rockland county New York. William Winter removed to Schraalenburgh from Tappan 8 December 1743.