Where the Wagner name comes from

Wagner is a German occupational surname that goes back to the Old High German word waganari, built from Wagen, meaning wagon, and the ending -er. It passed through the Middle High German form wagener on its way to the spelling carried today. The name described a wagon maker or a wagon driver. It was often given to someone who hauled produce and other goods in high-sided wagons or carts.

In southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the noun wagner still means a cartwright, wainwright or wheelwright. The surname was first found in Saxony, while the variant spelling Wegner began in Silesia. English records the same trade in the surnames Wainwright and Wheelwright, and Wagoner comes from the same root as Wagner. Beyond the German-speaking countries, the name is well established in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and eastern Europe.