The surname Hanke is a patronymic surname created from the Middle English given name Hank.
The surname Hanke 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.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hanke research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1290, and 1580 are included under the topic Early Hanke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hanke has been recorded under many different variations, including Hanks, Hankes, Hanke, Hank, Anke, Ankes, Hancke and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Hanke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hanke or a variant listed above: