Anke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Anke

What does the name Anke mean?

The surname Anke is a patronymic surname created from the Middle English given name Hank.

Early Origins of the Anke family

The surname Anke was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1191 when Anke of Ankinton held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Anke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anke research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1290 and 1580 are included under the topic Early Anke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anke Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Anke include Hanks, Hankes, Hanke, Hank, Anke, Ankes, Hancke and many more.

Early Notables of the Anke family

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

Migration of the Anke family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Anke or a variant listed above: George Hanks, who was a servant sent to the "Foreign Plantations" of Virginia in 1676; John Hanks, who came to the Virginia Colony in 1690; Ann Hanks, who arrived in Georgia in 1738.

Contemporary Notables of the name Anke (post 1700) +

Hannelore Anke (b. 1957), retired German five-time gold medalist swimmer who competed for East Germany in the 1970s
Stefanie Anke Hertel (b. 1979), German award winning yodeler, winner of the Grand Prix der Volksmusik (1992)
Anke Marx (1962-1963), Dutch theater programmer of Flint theatre in Amersfoort, the Netherlands
Anke Fuchs (1937-2019), née Nevermann, German Manager of the German Social Democratic Party, Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health (1982)
Anke Christina Engelke Fischer (b. 1965), Canadian-born, German comedian, actress and voice-over actress
Anke Kühn (b. 1981), German gold medalist female field hockey player at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Anke Kuehn (b. 1981), German female field hockey player
Anke Feller (b. 1971), retired German sprinter
Anke Scholz (b. 1978), retired female swimmer from Germany