How Wynnsum Woods Came to Have its Name

Our property in Kingston, Tennessee, consists of 24 acres along a beautiful ridge top that leads to the Tennessee River a few miles south of us. About 80% of our land is deciduous forest with oaks, hickories, maples, white pines, and other species. The remaining 20% is an old field area that we maintain by mowing. We have walking trails, benches for contemplating the woods, and some water features. We have wondered what we should call our place for years, but nothing we thought of seemed quite right.

Then, during a recent gathering of friends, a comment was made that we needed to name our property. An informal contest to suggest appropriate names ensued. One friend, who is a scholar of the Old English language, suggested we consider using Wynsum Woods. She explained that ‘Wynsum’ means ‘joyous,’ ‘delightful,’ or ‘pleasant.’ The modern word ‘winsome’ has evolved from this Old English word.

We liked the sound of the new name and its meaning, but we preferred the alternate spelling ‘Wynnsum.’ It will be useful as we plan for and advertise workshops and gatherings such as the photography workshop scheduled for early October. This workshop is the beginning of the realization of a long-time dream of ours of establishing our land as a place for people to gather to commune with nature.

When we Googled our chosen name and found it was unique on the internet, this sealed the deal! Our property will be known as Wynnsum Woods.