Vanags (feminine: Vanaga) is a Latvian surname, derived from the Latvian word for "hawk". Individuals with the surname include: Aleksandrs Vanags (1919–1986), Latvian football and basketball player Aleksandrs Vanags (architect) (1873-1919), Latvian architect Ēriks Vanags (1892–2001), Latvian athlete Jānis Vanags (born 1958), Latvian archbishop Jūlijs Vanags (1903–1986), Latvian writer and translator