WEINER
The surname Weiner is of German origin and is derived from the word wein, meaning wine. It is an occupational surname that was originally bestowed upon individuals involved in the wine trade or those employed in viticulture. The name may also have been used to denote a person who lived beside a vineyard or had some association with wine production.
Recorded in many spelling forms—including Vine, Vigne, Vyner (England), Lavigne, Devigne, Desvignes, Vinau, Vigne, Vignaux, Vignault (France), Vingneri, Vignolo, Vignozzi, Vignone (Italy), Vina and Vinas (Spain & Portugal), Wein, Weine, Weins, and Weiner (Germany), and many others—this surname is of Roman (Latin) origin and descends from the ancient word vinum meaning wine.
The earliest known registration of the family name is believed to be that of Robert de Vigne, dated 1236 in the Liber Feodorum rolls for the county of Somerset, England. Subsequent appearances include Henry de la Vine in 1283 and Roger atte Vine in 1297, both in the London letter books, and Egkehard Weyne recorded in Kassel, Germany, in 1420.
The surname is also a common Jewish name, especially among Ashkenazi communities. It is derived from the German word wien, which traces its roots to Vienna, Austria, and means “from Vienna.” It may also stem from Middle High German wîner, derived from wîne meaning meadow, or from the term win meaning friend. Adaptation by Jewish families occurred as a result of anti‑semitic pressures in Germanic and Austrian lands.
In Europe, Weiner is found in Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, as well as the United Kingdom, where it is predominantly concentrated in London, Manchester, and other parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the United States, it is the most common spelling and is largely of Jewish origin. According to 2021 estimates, the states of California, New York and Florida together contain over 92,000 bearers of the surname. Other significant concentrations exist in Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania.
Outside North America, the surname occurs in Canada, Australia—mainly within the Jewish population—Israel, Argentina, Mexico, Greece, Brazil, Colombia and other South American countries. Some members of the Weiner family altered their surname to Winer after World War II, particularly in Israel.
The name has evolved into various forms across languages: Weener, Weign, Whiner, Wainer, Weign, Wender, Wynn, Whyne and others, including Weingart, Weinmann, Weingut, Weinstock, Weinreich, Weinzweig, Weinberger, Weinraub, all of which share the same root.
Typical given names associated with the Weiner surname
Male
- Adam
- Alan
- Ben
- Benjamin
- Daniel
- David
- John
- Jonathan
- Louis
- Matthew
- Michael
- Neil
- Philip
Female
- Emily
- Freda
- Jacqueline
- Karen
- Katie
- Nicola
- Nicole
- Rita
- Susan
- Wendy
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 Weiner in...
Braille
⠺⠑⠊⠝⠑⠗
Morse
.--...-...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 355 people named Weiner in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around five in a million people in Britain are named Weiner.
Religion of origin: Jewish
Language of origin: Hebrew
Famous people named Weiner
- Edmund Weiner - Lexicographer
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.
