Funk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient and distinguished surname Funk is of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German "funke," meaning "spark," and was most likely originally used to denote a blacksmith. Alternatively, it may have originally been bestowed as a nickname to indicate a very lively person.
Early Origins of the Funk family
The surname Funk was first found in Baden, as well as the Rhineland and Pomerania, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the areas. The young Funk family declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending its influence in struggles for power and status within the region. It branched into many houses, and its contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. The origins of the name make it likely that several branches of the Funk family emerged independently in various areas of Germany. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was a knight called Funke, who was living in the town of Rüdesheim in 1280.
Early History of the Funk family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Funk research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1504, 1539, 1642, 1646, 1666, 1699, 1723, 1736, 1746, 1786 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Funk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Funk Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Funck, Funcke, Funcken, Funk, Funke, Funken, Funkh, Funckenheim, Funckner, Funkhauser and many more.
Early Notables of the Funk family
Notables with the surname Funk during this period were
- Hans Funk (c.1504-1539), a German painter
Funk Ranking
In the United States, the name Funk is the 1,448th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Funk is ranked the 807th most popular surname with an estimated 6,669 people with that name. 2
Funk migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Funk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Hans Funk, who arrived in America in 1731 3
- Samuel Funk, who arrived in America in 1731 3
- Hendrick Funk, aged 36, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
- Anna Funk, who settled in Philadelphia in 1738
- George Funk, aged 27, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Funk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Frederick Funk, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1836 3
- Bernhard Funk, who landed in North America in 1837 3
- Valentin Funk, who landed in North America in 1837 3
- Johannes Funk, who arrived in North America in 1838 3
- Adam Funk, who landed in Mississippi in 1841 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Funk migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Funk Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Anganetha Krahn and Isaak Funk, who were recorded to be living in Québec in 1874
- Abraham Funk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
- Johan Funk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
- Peter Funk, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
- Peter Funk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Funk (post 1700) +
- Terrence "Terry" Funk (1944-2023), American professional wrestler, known for the longevity of his career which spanned more than 50 years, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time
- Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk (b. 1939), American aviator, the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Agency inspector, as well as one of the Mercury 13
- Brigadier-General Arnold John Funk (1895-1980), American Commandant of Camp Edwards (1952) 4
- Corporal Jesse Nathaniel Funk (1888-1933), United States Army soldier and a recipient of the Medal of Honor
- Isaac Kauffman Funk (1839-1912), American publisher and co-founder of Funk & Wagnalls Co. in 1891 which was best known for its Standard Dictionary of the English Language (1893)
- Joseph Funk (1778-1862), pioneer American music teacher and publisher
- Dory Funk (1919-1973), American professional wrestler
- Christian Funk (1731-1811), American Mennonite bishop and author
- Leonard A Funk (1916-1992), highly decorated American soldier awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Croix de Guerre during WWII 5
- Lorenz Funk Sr. (1947-2017), German bronze medalist ice hockey player who played for the West German national team
- ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Funk family +
- Miss Annie Clemmer Funk (d. 1912), aged 38, Indian Second Class passenger from Janjgir-Champa, India who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 6
USS Arizona
- Mr. Frank Francis Funk, American Boatswain's Mate Second Class from Missouri, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 7
- Mr. Lawrence Henry Funk, American Seaman First Class from Wisconsin, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 7
Suggested Readings for the name Funk +
- Funk Forebears by Norma J. Kinney.
- A Tree Grows in Funks Grove: A History of the Funk-Stubblefield Families of McLean County, Illinois by Stephen C. Funk.
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- 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)
- Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Arnold Funk. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Funk/Arnold_John/USA.html
- World War 2 Awards.com - FUNK, Leonard. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Leonard Funk. Retrieved from http://www.ww2awards.com/person/835
- Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html