Wagnild

Wagnild is a surname of Scandinavian origin. In modern usage, it appears most often in Norway and the United States, with smaller communities in Sweden and Canada. The name is sometimes found in other countries as a result of international migration.

The etymology is not definitively documented. It is generally considered to be a patronymic- or toponymic-style surname linked to the Old Norse given name Vagn, meaning "wagon" or "cart," or to place-based origins in Norwegian or Swedish regions. Variants such as Vagnild and related spellings may reflect regional orthography rather than distinct lineages.

In the demographic record, Wagnild is relatively uncommon, making up a small fraction of Nordic-origin surnames. Families with the name often trace genealogical lines to rural districts in Norway or Sweden, where surname formation conventions historically favored compound forms.

Because of migration, Wagnild families in North America may be found in census records dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly among descendants of Norwegian and Swedish immigrants. The name generally does not indicate a specific occupation or social status, and no single individual with the surname dominates historical or contemporary public life.