Find out how popular the last name Werner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Werner.

Werner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Werner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Werner in America

Werner is the 1013th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Werner surname appeared 34,488 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Werner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Werner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Werner

The surname Werner is a German occupational name derived from the Middle High German "wernære" or "wernaere," meaning a guard or defender. This name originated in the 12th century and was initially given to those who served as watchmen or overseers responsible for the protection of towns, villages, or castles.

The name is believed to have first emerged in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also found in the neighboring German-speaking regions of Switzerland and Austria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Werner can be found in the Codex Traditionum of the Monastery of St. Gallen, dating back to the 9th century. This manuscript mentions a certain "Wernher de Villach," indicating the presence of the name in the region of Villach, Austria, during that time.

In the 13th century, the name Werner appeared in the Annals of the Monastery of Quedlinburg, which recorded the name of a nobleman named Werner von Schwalenberg. This reference suggests that the name was also associated with the nobility and landed gentry.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Werner was borne by several notable individuals, including Werner von Kyburg (c. 1230–1284), a Swiss nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the House of Habsburg and the Swiss Confederates.

Another prominent figure was Werner von Urslingen (c. 1330–1384), a German mercenary captain and military leader who fought in various conflicts throughout Europe during the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name Werner was associated with the German Renaissance humanist and scholar Johannes Werner (1468–1522), who was born in Nuremberg and is known for his contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.

During the 16th century, the surname was borne by Georg Werner (1589–1643), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of early modern astronomy, including the study of comets and the discovery of the first known variable star.

In the 18th century, Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817) was a German geologist and mineralogist who is considered a pioneer in the field of geology and is credited with developing the Neptunian theory of rock formation.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Werner across various regions of Germany and neighboring areas, as well as its association with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including nobility, military leaders, scholars, and scientists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Werner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Werner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Werner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Werner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Werner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Werner, please contact us.

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