Wenger
A German and Swiss surname that likely began as a short form of a name containing the element for “desire” or “joy,” though some forms may also be linked to place-names.
The #3,369 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,138 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is found in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname indexes beside related forms such as Wenrich. Some 19th-century scholars connected it with an old Germanic name element written wan- or wen-, glossed in different ways as “desire,” “joy,” or “pleasure,” though the exact path is not entirely secure. In other cases, it may reflect a shortened or altered form of a fuller personal name rather than a single clear word root.
History
The surname is especially associated with German-speaking Switzerland and southwestern German areas, where compact surname forms and clipped pet-name forms were common. Historical surname studies place Wenger among a cluster of names built from old Germanic first-name elements, and the modern surname has spread widely through later migration. It is well known in the United States today, where it is borne by several thousand people.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In some older German surname discussions, Wenger is grouped near Wenrich and other names built from ancient personal-name elements rather than from an occupation or place name.
From the historical record
“Wanegar: Wanger; Wanker — Weniger — Wenger; Wenker. Wanhard: Wannert — Wähnert. (Wanheri): Wanner — Wekner. (Wanold): Wähnelt. Wanulf: Wannloff. Einstämmige Kürzung Wan-.”
— Die deutschen FamiliennamenNotable people named Wenger
- Arsène Wenger (b. 1949)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.