Werner is a masculine given name of German origin and meaning. It comes from the Old High German word "Wernar," which is composed of two elements: "wer" meaning "man" or "warrior," and "-hari" meaning "army" or "spear." Thus, Werner translates to "strong as a warrior" or "powerful in battle."
The name Werner was popular among the Germanic tribes, but it gained significant prominence during the Middle Ages. Many historical figures have borne this name, including Werner I, Duke of Bavaria (995-1017), and Werner II, Margrave of Austria (1080-1096).
In literature, Werner is the protagonist in "Werner und Helmbrecht," a late medieval German epic poem attributed to the poet Rudolf von Ems. The character Werner is portrayed as a noble warrior who fights against injustice.
Throughout history, the name Werner has been associated with strength, courage, and noble character. Today, it continues to be used as a given name in various countries around the world, particularly in Germany and other Germanic-speaking regions. While its popularity may have fluctuated over time, Werner remains a timeless choice for parents seeking a strong, historical, and meaningful name for their sons.
Based on the provided statistics, we can observe the popularity of the name Werner in the United States over time.
From 1889 to 1919, the number of births with the name Werner fluctuated between a low of 5 and a high of 79. The years 1912 to 1916 saw an increase in popularity, with the highest number of births (74 to 79) during this period.
The name's popularity peaked in 1926 with 83 births, after which it gradually declined until 1934, when only 45 babies were named Werner. This downward trend continued until 1945, with the lowest point being 23 births in 1946.
From 1950 onwards, there was a slight increase in popularity, with fluctuations between 19 and 53 births per year. The years 1958 to 1960 saw another peak with 47 to 53 births.
After 1970, the name Werner became quite rare, with fewer than 20 births per year on average. There were a few spikes in popularity, such as in 1991 (15 births) and 2007 (15 births), but overall, it remained relatively uncommon.
In recent years, from 2008 to 2023, the number of births with the name Werner has varied between 5 and 14 per year. In total, there have been 3413 births named Werner in the United States since 1889.