Explore the Family Name Werner
The meaning of Werner
1. German, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements warin ‘protection, shelter’ or ‘guard’ + heri, hari ‘army’. The surname of German origin is also found in Britain (compare Warner) and France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Verner. 2. Germanized or Americanized form of Czech, Hungarian, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, and Slovenian Verner, a cognate or variant of 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Otto, Hans, Erwin, Heinz, Gerhard, Ernst, Helmut, Horst, Klaus, Arno, Dieter.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Werner in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Werner has seen a slight dip in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. During this period, it moved from being the 931st most popular surname to the 1013th, marking an 8.81% decrease in rank. However, the actual count of individuals with the Werner surname increased marginally by 0.4%, from 34,352 to 34,488. This led to a reduction in the proportion per 100,000 from 12.73 to 11.69, signifying an 8.17% drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #931 | #1,013 | -8.81% |
| Count | 34,352 | 34,488 | 0.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.73 | 11.69 | -8.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Werner
Turning our attention to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the Werner surname identify as White, with a small but notable decline from 96.4% in 2000 to 95.24% in 2010. Other ethnic identities associated with the surname saw changes of varying degrees. Hispanic identification showed the highest growth, increasing by 56.83%. The Black community also saw a considerable rise of 29.73%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races saw moderate increases of 15.25% and 20.62% respectively. However, American Indian and Alaskan Native identification decreased slightly by 7.41% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.4% | 95.24% | -1.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.18% | 56.83% |
| Two or More Races | 0.97% | 1.17% | 20.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.59% | 0.68% | 15.25% |
| Black | 0.37% | 0.48% | 29.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.25% | -7.41% |
Werner ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Werner is French & German, which comprises 36.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.4%) and Eastern European (8.8%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 36.4% |
| British & Irish | 32.4% |
| Eastern European | 8.8% |
| Other | 22.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Werner
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Werner have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 68.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 68.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 68.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 67.60% |
What Werner haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Werner is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-DF88, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hoffman, Schmidt, Meyer, Schneider, Schultz, Mueller, Wolf, Wagner, Schaefer, Meyers.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Werner surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Werner have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Werner" Surname 43.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Werner" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Werner" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Werner" Surname 40.5%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Werner?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Werner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition