Sink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The surname Sink is occupational, and would have originally denoted one who "engraves figures or designs on dies."

Early Origins of the Sink family

The surname Sink was first found in Cambridgeshire, where William le Sinoker was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1260.

Early History of the Sink family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sink research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1314, 1327 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Sink History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sink Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Sinker, Sinka, Sinkeman, Sinkman, Sink and others.

Early Notables of the Sink family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

the Sinker family of Somerset

Sink Ranking

In the United States, the name Sink is the 5,852^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Sink migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sink or a variant listed above:

Sink Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Sink, aged 24, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 2
Jacob Sink, who landed in North Carolina in 1764 2
Michael Sink, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Sink Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Pablo Sink, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Caracas" from Curacao, DWI 3
Joseph Sink, aged 21, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Princess Matoika" from Danzig, Poland 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Sink (post 1700) +

Eric Sink, American software developer and writer
Adelaide "Alex" Sink (b. 1948), American politician
Joseph Stanford Sink (b. 1911), American newspaper publisher and state senator
Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink (1905-1965), American Commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre during the war 4
John W. Sink, American politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1909-11 5
Jerry Sink, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 2012 5
H. Hoyle Sink, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Amoy, 1916-17 5
Charles Albert Sink (1879-1972), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 12th District, 1921-22, 1927-30; Candidate in primary for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1932 5
Alex Sink, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2008 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
World War 2 Awards.com - SINK, Robert. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Robert Sink. Retrieved from http://www.ww2awards.com/person/28432
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html