Werner is a name of German origin and is common both as a given name and a surname. As is often the case with Germanic names, it is a dithematic name, meaning it is composed of two semantically unrelated word stems, in this case the Old High German waron ('to protect/preserve/uphold') and heri ('army', cf modern German Heer). Wernher is a variation on Werner. Cognate names in other languages include Warner (English), Guernier (French), and Verner (Nordic languages).
The name was popular in the Habsburg family.
Werner I (bishop of Strasbourg) (c. 980–1028) Werner I, Count of Klettgau (c. 1025–1096) Werner II, Count of Habsburg (d. 1167)
People with the surname
A–H Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), German geologist Alfred Werner (1866–1919), Swiss Nobel Prize–winning chemist Alice Werner (1859–1935), German/English writer and poet André Werner (born 1960), German composer Andréa Werner (born 1975), Brazilian journalist and politician Annette Werner (born 1966), German mathematician Anton von Werner (1843–1915), German painter Axel Werner (born 1996), Argentine professional footballer Björn Werner (born 1990), German player of American football Brian Werner (born 1966), American Tiger Conservationist, founder of Tiger Missing Link Foundation Bruno E. Werner (1896–1964), German diplomat, writer, philologist and publicist Buddy (Wallace Jerold) Werner (1936–1964), American alpine skier C. W. Otto Werner (1879–1936), German physician, discoverer of the premature aging condition, Werner syndrome Carla Werner, New Zealander/Australian singer-songwriter E. T. C. Werner (Edward Theodore Chalmers Werner), (1864–1954), British diplomat and sinologist Eberhard Werner (artist) (1924–2002), German artist and landscapist Emmy Werner (1929–2017), American psychologist Éric Werner (born 1940), Swiss philosopher Ferdinand Werner (1876–1961), German civil servant and politician Franz von Werner (1836–1881), Austrian and Ottoman diplomat and writer, known as Murad Effendi Franz Werner (1867–1939), Austrian herpetologist and entomologist Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner (1768–1823), German poet, dramatist and preacher Fritz Werner (1898–1977), German conductor and composer Georg Werner (1904–2002), Swedish swimmer Gerhard Werner (1921–2012), Austrian/American neuroscientist Götz Werner (1944–2022), German entrepreneur Gregor Werner (1693–1766), Austrian composer Heinrich Werner (composer) (1800–1833), German composer Heinrich Werner (physician) (1874–1946), German physician Hildegard Werner (1834–1911), Swedish musician
I–Z Gladys "Skeeter" Werner Walker (1933–2001), American alpine skier Ilse Werner (1921–2005), Dutch/German singer/actress Jan Werner (athlete) (1946–2014), Polish sprinter
Johannes Werner (1466–1528), German priest and cartographer, inventor of the Werner map projection Josiah Werner (born 1980), American rock musician Jürgen Werner (disambiguation), multiple people Karel Werner (1925–2019), Czech philosopher Karl Werner (disambiguation), multiple people Katrin Werner (born 1973), German politician Lars Werner (1935–2013), Swedish politician
Marco Werner (born 1966), German car racer, two times winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans Mariano Werner (born 1988), Argentine motor racing driver Markus Werner (1944–2016), Swiss writer Mike Werner (born 1971), German footballer Oskar Werner (1922–1984), Austrian theatre and movie actor Pe Werner (born 1960), German singer Pete Werner (born 1999), American football player Pierre Werner (1913–2002), Luxembourgian politician Reinhold von Werner (1825–1909), German naval officer Sabine Werner (born 1960), German biochemist Stephanie C. Werner, German-Norwegian geologist and planetologist Susan Elizabeth Werner Kieffer (born 1942), American physical geologist and planetary scientist Susan Werner (born 1965), American singer/songwriter Theodore B. Werner (1892–1989), American politician Timo Werner (born 1996), German footballer Tom Preston-Werner (born 1979), American entrepreneur (GitHub) Tom Werner (born 1950), American television producer of Carsey-Werner Productions and owner of the Boston Red Sox Tommy Werner (born 1966), Swedish swimmer Wendelin Werner (born 1968), French mathematician, winner of the Fields medal in 2006 Wilhelm Werner (1888–1945), German naval and SS officer William E. Werner (1855–1916), American judge from New York Yehudah Leopold Werner (born 1931), Israeli zoologist Zack Werner (born 1960), Canadian artist and producer; judge on Canadian Idol
People with the given name
Given name only Werner, Margrave of the Nordmark (died 1014), Margrave of the Nordmark 1003–1009
A–J Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982), German movie director, screenwriter and actor Werner Abrolat (1924–1997), German actor and voice actor Werner Aisslinger (born 1964), German furniture designer Werner Asam (1944–2026), German television actor, director and writer Werner Aspenström (1918–1997), Swedish poet Werner Best (1903–1989), high-ranking Nazi official during World War II Werner Bochmann (1900–1993), German composer Werner Braune (1909–1951), German Nazi SS officer, executed for war crimes Werner Bruschke (1898–1995), East German politician Werner Cabrera, Peruvian politician Werner Christie (born 1949), Norwegian Labour Party politician, former Minister of Social Affairs and Health and Social Affairs Werner D. Horn, American politician Werner Dankwort (1895–1986), German diplomat before and after the Nazi era Werner Erhard (born 1935), American founder of Erhard Seminars Training (EST) and The Landmark Forum Werner Faymann (born 1960), Austrian politician Werner Fenchel (1905–1988), German mathematician Werner Finck (1902–1978), German comedian Werner Forssmann, (1904–1979), German physician, received the Nobel Prize for cardiological studies Werner Franz (born 1972), Austrian alpine skier Werner Funck (1881–1951), German stage and film actor, singer, and film director Werner Günthör (born 1961), Swiss Olympic track and field athlete Werner Hamacher (1948–2017), German deconstructive literary critic and theorist Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), German quantum physicist and Nobel laureate Werner Herzog (born 1942), German film and opera actor, director, and screenwriter Werner Heuser (1880–1964), German painter Werner Hippler (born 1970), plays American football in Germany for the Cologne Centurions, formerly played for Frankfurt Galaxy Werner Hoeger (born 1954), Venezuelan Olympic athlete Werner Hug (born 1952), Swiss chess player
Werner Iita (born 1963), Namibian politician Werner Jäger (born 1959), Austrian speed skater Werner Wolfgang Heubeck (1923–2009), German-British transport executive, former managing director of Ulsterbus and Citybus in Northern Ireland. Werner Z. Hirsch (1920–2009), German-born American economist
K–Z Hans Werner Olm (born Hans Olm, 1955), German television and film comedian Werner Kiem (born 1962), Italian biathlete Werner Klemperer (1920–2000), German actor Werner Koch (born 1961), German free-software author Werner Kohlmeyer (1924–1974), West German football (soccer) player Werner Krämer (1940–2010), West German football (soccer) player Werner Krauss (1884–1959), German film actor Werner Kutzelnigg (1933–2019), prominent Austrian-German theoretical chemist Werner Lička (born 1954), Czech football (soccer) player and manager Werner Liebrich (1927–1995), German football (soccer) player and coach Werner Mamugwe (1936–1998), Namibian politician Werner Marti (ski mountaineer) (born 1989), Swiss ski mountaineer Werner Mölders, Nazi German Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II Werner Munter (1941–2007), Swiss mountaineering expert Werner of Oberwesel (1271–1287), Christian boy allegedly murdered by Jews but venerated as a saint and martyr Werner Otto (cyclist) (born 1948), East German track cyclist Werner Perathoner (born 1967), Italian alpine skier Werner Peter (born 1950), East German football (soccer) player Werner Ploberger (born 1956), Austrian econometrician Werner Potzernheim (1927–2014), German road bicycle and track cyclist Werner Rahn (1939–2022), German naval officer and naval historian Werner Reiterer (born 1968), Australian discus thrower Werner Rolevinck (1425–1502), Carthusian monk Werner Roth (comics) (1921–1973), American comic book artist Werner Roth (footballer, born 1925) (1925–2011), coach of Karlsruher SC in the 1960s Werner Roth (footballer, born 1948), American soccer player Werner S. Weiglhofer (1962–2003), Austrian mathematician and engineer Werner Schildhauer (born 1959), East German track and field athlete Werner Schmidt (1932–2024), Canadian politician Werner Schmidt-Boelcke (1903–1985), German composer Werner Schmieder (born 1926), German politician Werner Schnitzer (born 1942), German television actor Werner Schroeter (1945–2010), German film director Werner Sobek (born 1953), German architect and research engineer Werner Stengel (born 1936), German engineer and roller-coaster designer Werner Stocker (actor) (1955–1993), German film and television actor Werner Vogels (born 1958), Dutch-American Amazon CTO Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946) German General Staff officer and first Minister of War Werner von Fritsch (1880–1939), member of the German High Command and commander-in-chief of the German Army Werner von Siemens (1816–1892), German inventor and industrialist Werner von Urslingen (1308–1354), German mercenary Werner Voss (1897–1917), German World War I fighter ace Werner Weinhold (1949–2024), Former NVA soldier and defector to West Germany Werner Zorn (born 1942), German computer scientist
Fictional characters Werner Ziegler, a character from Better Call Saul See also
Warner (given name) Warner (surname)