Werner Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Surname Name Meaning, Origin, Etymology, and Werner History/Genealogy
This German surname derives from a personal (first) which consists of the Germanic words war (guard) and heri (army), an etymology similar to that of the last name Warner. The second origin theory is that this surname is a corrupted version of Warrener, a topographic surname for a person who lived near a gamepark (a place where animals were hunted for food) or an occupational name for a person employed in such a park, which derives from the French word warrene, meaning a piece of land used for breeding small birds and other animals.

One of the earliest bearers was Freidrich Werner of Ingelheim who was documented in 1268 AD. A one Cunrat Werner of Hattstat was recorded in 1272. The name was first found in Lower Saxony (Sachsen), one of the states of the Holy Roman Empire, bordered by the Elbe and Ems River and the North Sea.

Common spelling variants or names with similar etymologies include Werners, Werener, Waernet, Warncke, Woerner, Waerner, Werhner, Wernner, Werneke, Varner, and Werneking.

Some of the earliest bearers in the United States were Christoff Werner (1709), Henrig Werner (New York 1709), Maria Magdalena Werner (New York 1710), Christopher Werner (New York 1710). Two of the earliest settlers in Canada with this name were Conrade and Elizabeth Werner who came to the province of Nova Scotia around 1750.

Hans Werner was born in Bondorf, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany in 1521 and he married Anna von Freyburg, with whom he had issue: Euphrosyne, Jakob, Veit, Margarethe, Ursula, Johannes, Anna, and Jakob. His son Johannes Hans Werner was born in Herrenberg in 1548 and he married Barbara Renzhartz. He had the following children: Christian, Johannes, Magdalena, Anna, Barbara, Peter, Catharine, Maria, Adelheit, and Ursula.

A one Henry Werner was born in Biedenkopf, Hesse in 1570. He married Magdalena and had a son with her named Hans. His son Hans Werner (or Varner) was born in 1600 and he married Anna Margarethea Goeckenlar and had a son with her named Hans Jerg Varner.

Popularity & Geographic Distribution
The last name Werner ranks 931^st in popularity in terms in the United Status as of the 2000 Census. The name ranks particularly high in the following nine states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The surname Werner is the 22^nd most popular surname in Germany and the 118^th most common name in Austria. In Sweden, it ranks 259^th and it Switzerland, it ranks 251^st.

Grantees
We have 19 coats of arms for the Werner surname depicted here. These 4 blazons are from Armorial General published in 1861 by the famous genealogist/heraldist Johannes Baptisa Rietstap. The bottom of this page contains the blazons (in French and English), and in many instances contains some historical, geographical, and genealogical about where coat of arms was found and who bore it.

Notables
There are hundreds of notable people with the Werner surname. This page will mention a handful. Famous people with this last name include: 1) Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749-1817) who was an German geologist, born in Prussian Silesia, who developed the theory of the stratification of the earth’s crust and history that came to be known as Neptunism, 2) Alfred Werner (1866-1919) who was a French-born Swiss chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for the octahedral configuration of transition metal complexes, 3) Bjorn Werner (1990) who is a football player in the NFL who went to Florida State and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, who was born in Berlin, Germany, 4) Fritz Werner (1898-1977) who was a German choral conductor, organist, and composer from Berlin, 5) Gerhard Werner (1921-2012) who was a medical doctor active in numerous fields such as pharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, and artificial intelligence, 6) Karel Werner (1925) who was a philosopher of religion from Jemnice, Czech Republic, 7) Wendelin Werner (1968) who is a German born French mathematician from Cologne who worked on topics such as Brownian motion and self-avoiding random walks, 8) Reinhold von Werner (1825-1909) who was a Prussian and Imperial German naval officer in the 19^th century who fought in the Second Schleswig War, Austro-Prussian War, and Franco-Prussian War, and 9) Franz Werner (1867-1939) was an Austrian zoologist and explorer who specialized in herpetologist and entomologist.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) P. de Brême D’argent à la fasce d’azur ch de trois étoiles (5) du champ Cimier une étoile (5) d’argent entre deux plumes d’autruche d’azur. English: Argent a fess azure charged with three etoiles of 5 points of the field Crest: a etoile of 5 points argent between 2 plumes of ostrich feathers azure.
2) Prusse – (An., 1 mars 1876) De gueules à un navire du moyen-âge sans mâts d’or acc en chef de trois étoiles d’argent 2 et 1 Cimier un mât d’or avec sa voile du même et une banderole tiercée en fasce de gueules d’argent et de sable Lambrequin à dextre d’argent et de gueules à senestre d’or et de gueules. English: Gules a ship of the middle ages with masts or accompanied by in chief three etoiles argent 2,1 Crest: a mast or with its sails of the same and a narrow flag tierced in fess gules argent and sable Mantling: to the dexter argent and gules to the sinister or and gules.
3) Hesse – (An., 27 mai 1845) D’azur au sautoir de sable bordé d’argent et ch d’une étoile du même Casque couronné Cimier trois plumes d’autruche de sable Lambrequin d’argent et de sable. English: Azure a saltire sable fimbriated argent and charged with an etoile of the same Crowned with a helmet Crest: three plumes of ostrich feathers sable Mantling: argent and sable.
4) Jena Écartelé en sautoir aux 1 et 4 palé de gueules et d’or de huit pièces aux 2 et 3 de sable à une fleur-de-lis d’or Cimier une fleur-de-lis d’or entre deux proboscides coupées d’or sur sable. English: Quarterly per saltire 1st and 4th paly gules and or of eight pieces 2nd and 3rd sable a fleur-de-lys or Crest: a fleur-de-lys or between two proboscides per fess or over sable.
5) Souabe D’or à trois sapins de sinople posés sur un tertre de trois coupeaux du même Cimier une femme issante habillée au naturel les yeux bandés d’or tenant de sa main dextre une épée et de sa senestre une balance. English: Or three fir trees vert on a hillock of three peaks of the same Crest: a woman issuant dressed proper the eyes bendy [?] [striped?] or holding in her dexter hand a sword and in her sinister a set of scales.
6) Wullen (Westphalie) Parti d’azur et d’argent. English: Per pale azure and argent.
7) Prusse – (An., 18 janv. 1701 et 14 sept. 1726) Parti au 1 d’argent à une demi-aigle de Prusse mouv du parti au 2 d’azur à une croix grecque d’argent Casque couronné Cimier un demi-vol de sable Lambrequin d’argent d’azur et de sable Tenants deux sphinx adossés couchés sur une terrasse. English: Per pale 1st argent a demi-eagle of Prussia coming from the pale 2nd azure a greek cross argent Crowned with a helmet Crest: a single wing sable Mantling: argent azure and sable two sphinxes addorsed [back to back] couchant [sitting down] on a mount [probably vert].
8) Saxe, Hesse-Cassel, Néerlande D’or au pal échiqueté d’argent et de gueules (ou de gueules et d’argent) Cimier un panache de cinq plumes d’autruche soutenu d’une aigrette d’argent lesdites plumes d’or de gueules d’argent de gueules et d’or ou un buste d’homme à moustaches posé de front habillé d’argent coiffé d’un bonnet de gueules Lambrequin d’or et de gueules. English: Or a pale checky argent and gules (alternatively gules and argent) Crest: a plume of five ostrich feathers supported by an egret [small heron] argent the aforesaid feathers or gules argent gules and or (alternatively) a bust of a man with a moustache facing the front dressed argent wearing on the head a hat gules Mantling: or and gules.
9) Allemagne Écartelé aux 1 et 4 de gueules à un sanglier rampant d’argent aux 2 et 3 de gueules au pal échiqueté d’argent et de sable Cimiers 1° un sanglier issant et contourné d’argent mouv d’un chapeau de gueules 2° un buste de vieillard habillé d’argent au rabat de gueules couronné de feuillage Lambrequin d’argent et de gueules. English: Quarterly 1st and 4th gules a wild boar rampant argent 2nd and 3rd gules a pale checky argent and sable Crests: 1st a wild boar issuant and reversed argent coming from a hat gules 2nd a bust of an old man dressed argent flaps gules crowned with leaves Mantling: argent and gules.
10) Autriche – (Barons du St-Empire, 13 avril 1805) Coupé au 1 parti a d’or à l’aigle de sable couronnée du champ et ch sur la poitrine du chiffre F II aussi d’or b d’azur à une colombe d’argent tenant en son bec un rameau d’olivier de sinople et posée sur une roue de six rayons d’or au 2 un mur crénelé d’argent maçonné de sable Casque couronné Cimier l’aigle Lambrequin à dextre d’or et de sable à senestre d’argent et d’azur Supports deux aigles au naturel armées d’or. English: Per fess 1st per pale a) or an eagle sable crowned of the field and charged over the stomach the number F II also or azure b) a dove argent holding in its beak an olive branch vert and placed over a wheel of six spokes or 2nd a wall crenellated argent masoned sable Crowned with a helmet Crest: an eagle Mantling: to the dexter or and sable to the sinister argent and azure Supporters two eagles proper armed or.
11) (Barons) – Autriche D’argent à un griffon de gueules becqué d’or tenant de ses pattes une hallebarde au naturel le tout soutenu d’une terrasse de sinople Casque couronné Cimier le griffon issant moins la hallebarde tenant de sa patte dextre un bâton de commandement d’argent en barre accolé d’un rameau de laurier de sinople Lambrequin d’argent et de gueules Supports deux griffons regardants d’argent couronnés d’or. English: Argent a griffin gules beaked or holding in its paws a halberd proper the all supported by a mount vert Crowned with a helmet Crest: the griffin issuant without the halberd holding in its dexter paw a baton [of commandment] argent bendwise sinister accompanied by a laurel branch vert Mantling: argent and gules supporters two griffins reguardant argent crowned or.
12) Ahaus (Westphalie) Parti d’azur et d’argent au canton d’argent. English: Per pale azure and argent a canton argent.
13) Franconie De sable à un senestrochère paré d’or mouv du flanc tenant un flambeau allumé au naturel en barre la flamme en bas et acc de deux étoiles d’or 1 au canton dextre du chef et 1 en pointe Cimier un homme issant habillé d’un écartelé d’or et de sable ceint de l’un en l’autre tenant de sa main dextre un bâton au naturel la main senestre appuyée sur sa hanche entre deux proboscides coupées alternativement d’or et de sable. English: Sable a left arm clothed or coming from the flank holding a torch alight proper bendwise sinister the flame downwards and accompanied by two etoiles or one in the canton dexter of the chief and one in base Crest: a man issuant dressed quarterly or and sable belted counterchanged holding in its dexter hand a baton proper the sinister hand resting on her between two proboscides per fess alternately or and sable.
14) Hesse D’argent au sautoir alésé de gueules à trois pals du même brochant sur le tout les deux pals extérieurs brochant sur les extrémités du sautoir et ch chacun d’une fleur-de-lis d’or Cimier une fleur-de-lis d’or entre deux proboscides. English: Argent a saltire couped gules three palets of the same covering over all, the two outside palets covering over the the ends of the saltire and each charged with a fleur-de-lys or Crest: a fleur-de-lys or between two proboscides.
15) Darmstadt – (Nob. du St-Empire, 17 mars 1770) De gueules à la fasce ondée d’or acc de trois roses d’argent boutonnées d’or Casque couronné Cimier deux guidons tiercés en fasce d’or de gueules et d’argent les hampes au naturel armées d’argent passées en sautoir Lambrequin à dextre d’or et de gueules à senestre d’argent et de gueules. English: Gules a fess undy or accompanied by three roses argent centers or Crowned with a helmet Crest: two flags tierced fesswise or gules and argent the poles [of the flags] proper armed argent placed saltirewise Mantling: to the dexter or and gules to the sinister argent and gules.
16) Franconie D’argent à la fasce vivrée de gueules. English: Argent a fess [right angled] dancetty gules.
17) auf Graffenrieth, Bohême – (Nob. du St-Empire, 10 oct. 1718) De sable à un griffon d’or couronné du même soutenu d’un tertre de trois coupeaux de sinople tenant de sa patte dextre un bâton de commandement de gueules embouté d’or et de sa senestre une épée abaissée d’or dans sa gaine de sable ornée d’or Casque couronné Cimier un griffon issant d’or couronné du même tenant de sa patte dextre une épée haute garnie d’or et de sa senestre la gaine de sable ornée d’or Lambrequin d’or et de sable. English: Sable a griffin or crowned of the same supported by a hillock of three peaks vert holding in its dexter paw a baton [of commandment] gules the tip or and in its sinister a sword lowered or in its sheath [scabbard] sable with the end or Crowned with a helmet Crest: a griffin issuant or crowned of the same holding in its dexter paw a sword upwards hilt and pommell or and in its sinister the scabbard sable with the end or Mantling: or and sable.
18) de Kreit, Wurtemberg – (An., 1555) D’argent à la fasce d’azur acc de deux étoiles du même 1 en chef et 1 en pointe et ch d’une flèche du champ posée en fasce à la bordure componnée de sable et d’or de quatorze pièces Casque couronné Cimier un vol aux armes de l’écu moins la bordure (sur l’aile dextre la flèche est contournée) les plumes extérieures des ailes alternativement d’or et de sable Lambrequin d’argent et d’azur. English: Argent a fess azure accompanied by two etoiles of the same 1 in chief and 1 in base and charged with an arrow of the field placed fesswise a bordure compony sable and or of 14 pieces Crowned with a helmet Crest: a pair of wings with the arms of the shield without a bordure (on the dexter wing the arrow is reversed) the feathers on the outside of the wings alternately or and sable Mantling: argent and azure.