English
Early records reveal that this surname originated in England. A so-called "occupational" surname is one which is derived from a man´s trade; however, variations in pronunciation due to the natural process of evolution of the language or a regional dialect often lead to alterations of the original name, as in the case of Werner, which comes from the personal name "Warner", or Gardner. The etymological origin of the surname Werner can be found in the Germanic words "war (in)" (guard), and "heri" (army). It would be daring, to say the least, to pretend to have found the very first individual who used this surname; entire centuries have passed since that time, no doubt erasing virtually every trace of him to whom we might justly refer as the "original Werner". However, our investigations have uncovered records of certain people who were possibly among the earliest to bear the name Gardner. The earliest written reference to someone with this surname pertains to a certain William Arnold Gardner , mentioned in a document from the year 1587. Centuries ago, many families displayed mottoes - concise phrases which might express anything from a pun on the name to a religious or philosophical guiding principle - on scrolls, or below their coat of arms. The motto used by one branch of the Gardner family was "In ferrum libertate ruebant": "Through liberty they rushed to the sword". Probably one of the first individuals bearing the surname Gardner to emigrate to America was a certain Thomas Gardner, who at age 44 sailed from England to Boston on a ship named "Harmony" in the year 1774. There are approximately 64,000 people living in the United States today who have this surname.