WEGENER
Wegener is a surname of Germanic origin that entered use in the Middle Ages as an occupational designation. The name derives from the Middle High German word wegan, meaning “to carry” or “to transport”. Consequently the earliest bearers were likely carriers or transport contractors, performing the important task of moving goods between towns and markets.
The surname is also closely connected with the Old High German word wagen, a metonym for a maker of horse‑drawn vehicles or a transport contractor. In the medieval period the occupation carried a recognised status, as demonstrated by the fact that 37 coats of arms have been granted to families bearing the name. The principal heraldic emblem is a gold wheel on a blue field, symbolising the vehicle and the people who lent their strength to it.
Variations of the name proliferated as the German language evolved in the Rhineland and neighbouring Low Countries. Common spelling variants include Wagner, Wegner, Wagen, Wagnerin, Wahner and Wehner. Church records from the 16th and 17th centuries contain examples such as Atterna Wagner who married Simon Mueller in Zeitz, Sachsen, in 1589; Alexander Wagen who married Barbara Engelfridt in Neckarkries, Wuertt, in 1571; and Adrian Wegener who married Otte Bouinck in Nottuln, Westfalen, in 1675. In England an Elizabeth Wagner, daughter of a Huguenot refugee, was baptised at St. Ann's Church, Soho, London, in 1715.
In Dutch usage the name appears as Van Wagenen. One of the earliest documented cases in America is that of Geertie Van Wagenen, christened in Kingston, Ulster County, New York, in 1686. The name was carried to the United States with considerable frequency, concentrating in states such as Arkansas, North Dakota, Arizona, California, Michigan, Texas and Washington.
Current demographic data place Wegener as the 513th most common surname in Germany, with the greatest concentration in Bavaria’s southwestern region. The name is also recorded in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg. In the twentieth century the surname became associated with several prominent figures, most notably Alfred Wegener, the German polar researcher and geophysicist whose hypothesis of continental drift has had a lasting impact on earth sciences.
The surname has evolved from the patronymic Wagner, a trade name for a wagon builder, during the 16th century when German speakers began adopting hereditary surnames. The lexical root of the name is the Germanic wigger, meaning “homesteader” or “property owner”, which resonates with the occupational function of transporters and road-makers. Finally, alternate spellings such as Wiggans, Weegin and Weger reflect regional dialects and linguistic adaptation across Europe and the diaspora.
Typical given names associated with the Wegener surname
Male
- Colin
- Darren
- Edward
- John
- Lorenz
- Patrick
- Paul
- Philip
- Reginald
- Robert
Female
- Andrea
- Bethan
- Birgit
- Claudia
- Elizabeth
- June
- Kelly
- Marie
- Nadine
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Wegener in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 137 people named Wegener in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around two in a million people in Britain are named Wegener.
Famous people named Wegener
- Marco Wegener - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.