Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1930

Werner

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #8,214

Werner is a name of German origin and is common both as a given name and a surname.

Rank 2025
#8,214
among boys · ↑61 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
10
named Werner
How common
1 in 170,808
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1930
93 babies
All-time total
3,433
#2,314 all-time among boys
First recorded
1889
in Social Security records

Werner popularity over time

3,433 babies have been named Werner since 1889, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1916Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 7 1 – #875
1890s 21 2 +200% #853
1900s 69 7 +229% #856
1910s 491 49 +612% #670
1920s 696 70 +42% #698
1930s 619 62 -11% #639
1940s 314 31 -49% #891
1950s 333 33 +6% #1,130
1960s 358 36 +8% #1,069
1970s 115 12 -68% #2,210
1980s 72 7 -37% #3,253
1990s 96 10 +33% #3,999
2000s 98 10 +2% #4,297
2010s 98 10 0% #6,326
2020s (to 2025) 46 8 -22% #7,555

The story of Werner

Werner is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #8,214 in 2025 with 10 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1889, 3,433 American babies have been named Werner. Its peak came in 1930, when 93 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1930s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Werner stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Werner?

The median living Werner is about 61 years old; half are between 35 and 72. An estimated 1,300 people named Werner are alive in the United States today.

median 61 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Werner year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 10 #8,214
2024 10 #8,275
2023 5 #14,077
2022 10 #8,255
2021 11 #7,555
2020 – –
2019 12 #7,143
2018 7 #10,691
2017 11 #7,511
2016 14 #6,326
2015 10 #8,003
2014 8 #9,586
2013 9 #8,740
2012 10 #8,114
2011 11 #7,475
2010 6 #12,141
2009 8 #9,822
2008 9 #8,983
2007 15 #5,891
2006 7 #10,606
2005 6 #11,408
2004 5 #13,141
2003 9 #7,797
2002 11 #6,508
2001 19 #4,297
2000 9 #7,383
1995 13 #4,782
1990 10 #5,358
1985 12 #3,797
1980 14 #3,253
1975 7 #4,787
1970 18 #2,210
1965 44 #1,143
1960 53 #1,069
1955 40 #1,197
1950 24 #1,536
1945 25 #1,347
1940 51 #891
1935 66 #765
1930 93 #639
1925 63 #842
1920 71 #802
1915 74 #679
1910 12 #980
1905 7 #1,087
1900 6 #1,300
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Werner

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Werner Herzog Werner Herzog German director, producer, screenwriter (born 1942) Contemporary
  2. 2 Werner Heisenberg Werner Heisenberg German physicist (1901–1976) Contemporary
  3. 3 Werner Klemperer Werner Klemperer American actor (1920–2000) Contemporary
  4. 4 Werner von Blomberg Werner von Blomberg German military commander (1878–1946) 19th century
  5. 5 Werner von Fritsch Werner von Fritsch German general (1880–1939) 19th century
  6. 6 Werner Goldberg Werner Goldberg German Wehrmacht soldier and politician (1919–2004) Contemporary
  7. 7 Werner von Siemens Werner von Siemens German electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist (1816–1892) 19th century
  8. 8 Werner Mölders Werner Mölders German World War II flying ace 1913–1941 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Werner Naumann German Nazi politician (1909–1982) Contemporary
  10. 10 Werner Best Werner Best German jurist and SS general (1903–1989) Contemporary
  11. 11 Werner Sombart Werner Sombart German economist, sociologist, and historian 1863–1941 · 19th century
  12. 12 Werner von Haeften Werner von Haeften German officer and conspirator against Hitler (1908–1944) Contemporary
  13. 13 Werner Haase Werner Haase SS officer and physician 1900–1950 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Werner Krauss Werner Krauss German actor (1884–1959) 19th century
  15. 15 Werner Forssmann Werner Forssmann German physician, Nobel prize winner (1904–1979) Contemporary
  16. 16 Werner Kempf Werner Kempf German general (1886–1964) 19th century
  17. 17 Werner Günthör Swiss shot putter (born 1961) Contemporary
  18. 18 Werner Ostendorff Werner Ostendorff German SS general (1903-1945) Contemporary
  19. 19 Werner Faymann Werner Faymann Chancellor of Austria from 2008 to 2016 b. 1960 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Werner Jaeger Werner Jaeger German-American classical philologist 1888–1961 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Werner, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Werner?

The median living Werner is about 61 years old. Half of all living Werners are between 35 and 72 years old.

How many people named Werner are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Werner are alive in the United States, based on 3,433 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Werner mean?

Werner is a name of German origin and is common both as a given name and a surname.

How popular is the name Werner in 2025?

Werner ranked #8,214 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 10 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Werner?

3,433 babies have been named Werner in the United States since 1889, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Werner most popular?

Werner peaked in 1930, when 93 newborns received the name.

Is Werner a boy or girl name?

Werner is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Werner rising or falling?

Werner has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Werner?

Well-known people named Werner include Werner Herzog (film director), Werner Heisenberg (physicist), Werner Klemperer (actor).

Names like Werner

Names that sound and feel close to Werner: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Werner with similar names → More names starting with W →