Origin of Werner Surname - While the origin of the Werner name is not precisely known, the use of this word as a surname appears in 15th century historical records. German based surnames Werner/ Werhner/ Warner/ Woerner/ Varner/ Verner/ Vernor are likely tied to ancient Germanic words: Warinhari or Warinheer. “Warin” means “guard” while “hari” means “army” and “heer” means “volk” (people). It follows that this name was associated with guarding or protecting something or someone. The correct pronunciation of the name is similar to the word “Varner” as said in English. The letter “W” in German is pronounced similar to the letter “V” in English. The Werner surname is not uncommon. References to individuals with this surname can often be found in historical documents for areas with a history of German settlement. In many cases there is no known relationship between individuals that share this surname. The surname "Eichel(t)" apparently derives from the word “acorn”.
Early History - By about 500 B.C. Germanic tribes inhabited the northern part of the European continent. These tribes likely originated from a mixture of peoples along the Baltic Sea coast. By 100 B.C., they had advanced into the central and southern areas of present-day Germany. At that time there were three major tribal groups: the eastern Germanic peoples lived along the Oder and Vistula rivers; the northern Germanic peoples inhabited the southern part of present-day Scandinavia; and the western Germanic peoples inhabited the extreme south of Jutland and the area between the North Sea and the Elbe, Rhine, and Main Rivers. Between the second and sixth centuries, eastern and western Germanic tribes left their native lands and settled in newly acquired territories. This period included the downfall of the Roman Empire and resulted in a considerable expansion of habitable area for the Germanic peoples. However, with the exception of those kingdoms established by Franks and Anglo-Saxons, Germanic kingdoms founded in such other parts of Europe as Italy and Spain were of relatively short duration because they were assimilated by the native populations. The conquest of Roman Gaul by Frankish tribes in the late fifth century became a milestone of European history; it was the Franks who were to become the founders of a civilized German state.
Werner Research - Research continues on finding a link to a location in the motherland. Please contact webmaster@haimila.ca if you have any information that may help in this regard.
