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)
Contents
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
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
Jens Werner (1964–2024), Danish ballroom dancer
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
Laure Werner (born 1981), Belgian cyclist
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
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
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
Fictional characters
Werner Ziegler, a character from Better Call Saul