Wagoner
An occupational surname for a wagon driver or carter.
The #2,401 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,422 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wagoner is an occupational surname meaning a wagon driver, carter, or wainman. The form is built on wagon, ultimately from a Germanic word for a cart or wagon, plus the agent suffix -er. Historical sources also connect it with related English forms such as Wainman and with German Wagener/Wagner, which point to the same trade.
History
The surname appears in several closely related spellings, including Waggoner and Wagener, reflecting the way this occupational name was written in different places and periods. In English-speaking areas it likely arose independently from the common job title, while some instances may also reflect German immigration, especially in the form Wagner. Today Wagoner is established in the United States, where it remains a moderately uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname dictionaries note that a female wagon driver could even be described as a 'female wagoner' in old English usage.
From the historical record
“Cp. Waugh. WAGG EN ER ] (Teut.) Wagoner [a comp. WAGGONER I late formation (with E. agent. WAGENER J sufi. -er) on Dut. wagen, a wagon] In 'Titus Andronicus', V. ii. 48, waggoner”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)