The wiener sausage is named after Vienna, Austria. “Wiener” is the German adjective meaning “Viennese,” derived from Wien, the German name for Vienna.
The sausage associated with the name was developed in Vienna in the early 19th century by butcher Johann Georg Lahner, who had learned his trade in Frankfurt. Around 1805, Lahner made a fine sausage from pork and beef, filling it into sheep casings and lightly smoking and parboiling it. This Vienna version helped spread the name Wiener beyond Austria.
The terminology changes from country to country. In Germany, a similar sausage is commonly called Wiener Würstchen, while in Austria the comparable hot sausage is generally called a Frankfurter or Frankfurter Würstel. That reversal reflects the sausage’s Frankfurt connection through Lahner and the different naming customs of German-speaking regions.
In English, “wiener,” “Vienna sausage,” and “hot dog” can refer to related products, though canned Vienna sausages may be smaller and prepared differently from a standard American hot dog.