Trunk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancient roots of the Trunk family are found in the German state of Bavaria. Trunk was a local name, for someone who lived in Franconia.

Early Origins of the Trunk family

The surname Trunk was first found in Franconia, where the name appeared as early as the 13th century, and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Trunk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trunk research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1533, 1652, 1655, 1711, 1749, 1783 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Trunk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trunk Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Trunk include Trenk, Trenck, Trencke, Traenck, Trenke, Trank, Tranke, Tranck, Trancke, Tranckner, Traenkel (Baden), Traenkler, Trenkel (Baden), Trenkle (Baden), Traenkner (Saxony), Trenkner (Saxony), Trenker, Drenker (Hamburg and many more.

Early Notables of the Trunk family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trunk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trunk migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Trunk surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Trunk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Joseph Trunk, aged 43, who landed in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Washington", he died in 1846 1
Mr. F. T. Trunk, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Washington"
Mr. Joseph Trunk, aged 42, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Washington"

Contemporary Notables of the name Trunk (post 1700) +

Penelope Trunk, born Adrienne Roston, an American writer and blogger
Herman Trunk Jr. (1894-1963), American painter active in the modernist movement of the 1920s and 1930s
Eddie Trunk (b. 1964), American music historian, radio personality, talk show host, and author
Richard Trunk (1879-1968), German composer, pianist, conductor, and critic
Gustav Trunk (1871-1936), German politician, three-time President of Baden
Frederique Trunk, contemporary French composer

Historic Events for the Trunk family +

SS Atlantic

J. Trunk, Norweigian traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)