Wagen

This ancient German-Dutch-Swiss surname is of occupational origins. It derives from the Olde High German word 'wagen', and as such was a metonymic for either a maker of horse drawn vehicles or possibly a transport contractor. Clearly being a 'wagener' was a position of considerable importance in medieval times, with no less than thirty seven coats of arms have been granted to nameholding families. The spelling variations are numerous, being delictual transposed by the many German 'languages'. The variations include Wagner, Wagnerin, Wegner, Wagen, Weagener, Wegener, Wahner, Wahnerr, and Wehner. Early examples of the church recordings include Atterna Wagner, who married Simon Mueller at Zeitz, Sachsen, on April 6th 1589, Alexander Wagen who married Barbara Engelfridt at Neckarkries, Wuertt, on September 23rd 1571, and Adrian Wegener who married Otte Bouinck at Nottuln, Westfalen, on May 5th 1675. Other examples are Aeva Wagnerin who married Wilhelmus Hausner at Reinhessen, Hessen, on June 2nd 1733, whilst in England Elizabeth Wagner, the daughter of a Huguenot refugee, was baptised at St. Ann's Church, Soho, London, on June 1st 1715. In its Dutch form as Van Wagenen, the name is one of the earliest in America, Geertie Van Wagenen being christened at Kingston, Ulster County, New York State, on September 5th 1686, whilst Georg Wagner, the son of Michael Wagner, was christened at Stone Arabia, Montgomery County, New York State, on January 2nd 1745. The principal coat of arms has the blazon of a gold wheel on a blue field. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Conrad Wegener, which was dated 1290, the medieval records of Schontal, Germany, during the reign of Emperor Rudolf 1, of the German Empire, 1273 - 1291. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.