Origin of Wagner


This ancient German-Dutch- Swiss surname is of occupational origins. It derives from the Olde High German word 'wagen', and as such was a metonymic for either a maker of horse drawn vehicles or possibly a transport contractor. Clearly being a 'wagener' was a position of considerable importance in medieval times, with no less than thirty seven coats of arms have been granted to nameholding families. The spelling variations are numerous, being delictual transposed by the many German 'languages'. The variations include Wagner, Wagnerin, Wegner, Wagen, Weagener, Wegener, Wagnerin, Wahner, Wahnerr, and Wehner.

Early examples of the church recordings include Atterna Wagner, who married Simon Mueller at Zeitz, Sachsen, on April 6th 1589, Alexander Wagen who married Barbara Engelfridt at Neckarkries, Wuertt, on September 23rd 1571, and Adrian Wegener who married Otte Bouinck at Nottuln, Westfalen, on May 5th 1675. Other examples are Aeva Wagnerin who married Wilhelmus Hausner at Reinhessen, Hessen, on June 2nd 1733, whilst in England Elizabeth Wagner, the daughter of a Huguenot refugee, was baptised at St. Ann's Church, Soho, London, on June 1st 1715. In its Dutch form as Van Wagenen, the name is one of the earliest in America, Geertie Van Wagenen being christened at Kingston, Ulster County, New York State, on September 5th 1686, whilst Georg Wagner, the son of Michael Wagner, was christened at Stone Arabia, Montgomery County, New York State, on January 2nd 1745. The principal coat of arms has the blazon of a gold wheel on a blue field. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Conrad Wegener, which was dated 1290, the medieval records of Schontal, Germany, during the reign of Emperor Rudolf 1, of the German Empire, 1273 - 1291. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

The surname Wagner. Its genealogy, origins, history, and meaning.

Discovering the historical origins of Wagner is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Wagner is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Wagner, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Wagner, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Wagner, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Wagner today.

View complete list of Wagner in the world

Wagner: historical chronicle

The history of Wagner is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Wagner throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Wagner. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Wagner. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Wagner. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Wagner.

Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Wagner than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Wagner, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Wagner that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.

The most famous Wagner in history

There have probably been some significant Wagner throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Wagner were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Wagner who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.

The surname Wagner and its bibliographic sources

Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Wagner thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Wagner, as well as many other surnames:

Bibliographic sources for Wagner

These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Wagner, and of surnames in general.