Show ContentsPlank History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Plank Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins of the Plank family

The surname Plank 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

This Norman family is generally thought to have been derived from "De la Planche, a baronial family. Richard and Henry de Planca and their fief, Normandy 1180-1195 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). Ralph de la Planche c. 1119 witnessed a charter of Leeds Abbey, Kent. Planche was near Alençon." 2

Early History of the Plank family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plank research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1788 is included under the topic Early Plank History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plank Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Plank family

  • the Plank family of Leicester

Plank Ranking

the United States, the name Plank is the 5,022nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Plank migration to the United States +



Plank Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Adam Plank, who landed in New York in 1771 4
Plank Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Alfred Thomas Plank, (b. 1875), aged 29, Cornish labourer, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th November 1904 en route to Oglesby, Illinois, USA 5
  • Mr. Edward Plank, (b. 1872), aged 33, Cornish engine driver travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Oglesby, Illinois, USA 5

Plank migration to Canada +

Plank Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • John Plank, who settled in Canada in 1836
  • John P Plank, who arrived in Canada in 1836

Plank migration to Australia +

Plank Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Plank, English convict from Wiltshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Joseph Plank, (b. 1789), aged 43 who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1833 aboard the ship 7

Plank migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Plank Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Emmanuel Plank, aged 34, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Anne Plank, aged 33, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Allan Plank, aged 5, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Angelina Plank, aged 4, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • James Plank, aged 3, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Plank (post 1700) +

  • Kevin A. Plank (b. 1972), American billionaire businessman and philanthropist, CEO and founder of Under Armour, Inc
  • Major-General Ewart Gladstone Plank (1897-1982), American Commanding General New York Port of Embarkation (1946-1949) 8
  • Scott Chapman Plank (1958-2002), American film and television actor
  • Douglas Walter "Doug" Plank (b. 1953), former American NFL football safety and coach, creator of the 46 defense, his original play number
  • Edward Stewart "Eddie" Plank (1875-1926), nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie", American Major League Baseball pitcher, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946
  • Raymond A. Plank (1916-1977), American Republican politician, Candidate for Secretary of State of Michigan, 1958; Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Mason District, 1961-62 9
  • Mrs. Raymond Plank, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1960 10
  • Milton H. Plank, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 18th District, 1920 10
  • Milo W. Plank, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Van Buren County, 1956 10
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Harriet Plank, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and Survived the sinking but later died 10
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  6. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
  7. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
  8. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Ewart Plank. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Plank/Ewart_Gladstone/USA.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  10. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/

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