An English surname, Vinson comes from the Latin term ‘vincens’ which means to conquer. The spelling variations for Vinson include Vinsen, Vincent, Vincett, Vinsun, Vincer and Vinsant. Across the majority of England and Wales the Vinson surname is found. The greater number of Vinson households are in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, the city of London, Surrey, Hampshire, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Devon. In Scotland the Vinson surname is primarily located in Lanarkshire, Angus, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, and Wigtownshire. Within the United States the early Vinson families settled in Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. Famous: Fred O’Neal Vinson (professional basketball player), Helen Vinson (movie film actress), Maribel Yerxa Vinson (a champion figure skater and coach), Sharni Vinson (actress, dancer and model), Frederick Moore Vinson (served as a US Congressman, Secretary of the Treasury and a Chief Justice of the U. S. over his career), Eddie Vinson ( a musician - saxophone), Fred Vinson (professional football player) and Clarence Adam Vinson (professional boxer nicknamed “Untouchable”).