Wagnon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The German territory of Silesia is the noble birthplace of the surname Wagnon. The name is derived from the Middle High German term "wagener," meaning "one who drives or makes wagons," and would likely have been initially borne by a wheelwright or carriage maker. 1

Early Origins of the Wagnon family

The surname Wagnon was first found in Liegnitz, where Nitsche wayner (wagener) was recorded in 1372. 1

In medieval times the feudal lord often owned several manors and it was necessary to transport produce from one place to another by two-wheeled, horse-drawn carts. The "wagener" would have been a member of the lord's household responsible for this carriage of goods. References to this name in written records occur as early as the thirteenth century when the "Wurttembergisches Urkundenbuch" makes mention of one Bertoldus dictus Wagenare residing in Eriskirch at that time. Later, the "Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch" notes two brothers, Henricus and Berchtoldus, who were styled Wagenere, natives of Freiburg.

The famed composer and conductor Richard Wagner (1813-1883), best known for his four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) hailed from Leipzig, Upper Saxon.

Early History of the Wagnon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wagnon research. Another 260 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1656, 1660, 1717, 1742, 1745, 1747, 1762, 1779, 1812, 1813, 1845, 1869, 1883 and 1930 are included under the topic Early Wagnon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wagnon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wagner, Wegner, Wagoner, Wagener, Waganer, Waggener and many more.

Early Notables of the Wagnon family

Notables of the period with the surname Wagnon were Gabriel Wagner (c.1660-c.1717), a radical German philosopher and materialist who wrote under the nom-de-plume Realis de Vienna; Heinrich Leopold Wagner (1747-1779), who was a German dramatist of the Storm and Stress period. The most famous Wagner is unquestionably Richard Wagner (1813-1883)...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wagnon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wagnon Ranking

In the United States, the name Wagnon is the 12,117^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Wagnon is ranked the 9,377^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Wagnon family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Andreas Wagner, who immigrated to America with his wife and two children in 1709; Abraham Wagner came to Philadelphia in 1737; as did Christoph Wagner in 1747.

Contemporary Notables of the name Wagnon (post 1700) +

Joan Wagnon, American politician, mayor of Topeka, Kansas 1997 to 2001, Secretary of Revenue for the state of Kansas since January 13, 2003

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/