Correct me please,

I read somewhere that "Wasser" was the name of the person who engineered the
VW engine with pistons that "box" each other, or was that a joke or a myth?
The German word for water is "wasser" according to the dictionary in
vanagon.com so when someone said "Wasser" was the inventor's name was he
pulling our proverbial leg?

I read posts where both descriptions are used. It's not a matter of potato
or pottatto, or westfalia or westphalia but I'd just like to know as a mater
of curiosity.

William P.