Show ContentsPlanck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Planck family

The surname Planck was first found in Wiltshire where Maud de la Plank held estates in that shire in 1288. The name literally means "dweller by the plank" or narrow foot-bridge, from the Middle English word "planke." [1]

Early History of the Planck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Planck research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Planck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Planck Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plank, Planke, Planck, Planche, Planch, Planque, de Planque and many more.

Early Notables of the Planck family

More information is included under the topic Early Planck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Planck migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Planck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jacob Albertzen Planck, who arrived in New York City in 1634
  • Jacob Albertzen Planck, who arrived in New York in 1634 [2]
Planck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Planck, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 [2]
  • Ludwig Henrich Planck, aged 6, who landed in New York in 1710 [2]
  • Maria Margaret Planck, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1710 [2]
  • Johanna Eliz Planck, aged 14, who landed in New York in 1710 [2]
  • Johanna Elizabeth Planck, Johannes Planck and Maria Margaret Planck, who arrived in New York City in 1710

Contemporary Notables of the name Planck (post 1700) +

  • Edgar Allan Planck (b. 1868), American Republican politician, Physician; Member of Michigan State Senate 7th District, 1915-18; Defeated, 1912; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1916 [3]
  • Gottlieb Jakob Planck (1751-1833), German Protestant divine and historian
  • Karl Christian Planck (1819-1880), German philosopher
  • Erwin Planck (1893-1945), German politician, and a resistance fighter in the Third Reich
  • Gottlieb Planck (1824-1910), prominent jurist and co-author of the Civil Law Book, while one of his sons was executed during the Second World War on suspicion of having taken part in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler
  • Max Ernst Planck (1858-1947), prominent German physicist, who made immense contributions to the advancement of his field. His "Law of Radiation" (1901) and other accomplishments provided the foundations of modern quantum theory. He received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918 and became President of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Berlin in 1930


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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