Hancks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Hancks

What does the name Hancks mean?

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

Early Origins of the Hancks family

The surname Hancks 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 Hancks family

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

Hancks Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hancks include Hanks, Hankes, Hanke, Hank, Anke, Ankes, Hancke and many more.

Early Notables of the Hancks family

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

Migration of the Hancks family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hancks were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: 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.