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Jenks History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Jenks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The Jenks surname has long been associated with Wales. This surname comes from the personal names Jen, Jan, and Jon, which are all forms of the name John. The surname Jenks also features the diminutive suffix -kin, which is commonly held to have been brought to Britain from the Netherlands as early as the 12th century, when it is found as a component of the surnames of some Flemish settlers. Generally, the Jenkin variant of this name came from the Devon-Cornwall region.

Early Origins of the Jenks family

The surname Jenks was first found in "South Wales and Monmouthshire, where it is very numerous. Like other Welsh names it has spread itself to the southward and eastward, though not nearly to the extent of some of the other common names of the Principality."

"The usual explanation that Jenkins is a name of Flemish type, probably introduced by the Flemings who settled in numbers in South Wales in the reign of Henry I., is to some extent supported by the fact that the great home of the name is now in South Wales and Monmouthshire. It is singular, however, that the name, usually as Jenkin, should be numerous in Cornwall. Cornwall is very Welsh with reference to some of its most frequent names, such as Roberts, Phillips, Williams, Richards, Thomas, Jenkin, Harris, James, &c., which, in the intervening counties of Devon and Somerset are usually much less numerous. This close resemblance in family nomenclature between two isolated regions that possess a similar racial history is very remarkable." 1

Early History of the Jenks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jenks research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1582, 1597, 1600, 1602, 1609, 1622, 1623, 1625, 1641, 1663, 1685, 1722, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jenks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenks Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Jenks have included Jenkins, Jenkin, Jankins, Jenkynn, Jenkynns, Jenkyns, Jinkines, Jinkins, Jenkens, Junkin, Junkins and many more.

Early Notables of the Jenks family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was David Jenkins (1582-1663), Welsh judge and Royalist, "the son of Jenkin Richard of Hensol, in the parish of Pendeulwyn, Glamorganshire, where he was born in 1582. He became a commoner of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1597, and took the degree of B.A. 4...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jenks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenks Ranking

In the United States, the name Jenks is the 5,871^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Jenks family to Ireland

Some of the Jenks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenks migration to the United States +

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Jenks:

Jenks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Jenks, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1643 3
William Jenks, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 3
Richard Jenks, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1666 3

Jenks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David Jenks, who arrived in Ohio in 1798 3

Jenks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Theodore Jenks, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
James Jenks, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 3

Jenks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jenks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Jenks, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
Edward Jenks, English convict from Chester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Mr. William Jenks, (Jenkins), (b. 1806), aged 25, English ploughman who was convicted in Kent, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Josiah Jenks, English Convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7

Jenks 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:

Jenks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Rebecca Jenks, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Surat" in 1864
David Jenks, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Surat" in 1864
Rebecca Jenks, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 8
Fanny Jenks, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 8
Eveline Jenks, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Jenks (post 1700) +

Alden Jenks (b. 1940), American composer, born in Michigan
Arthur Byron Jenks (1866-1947), American politician, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire
Dave Jenks (1942-2021), American author and business person, known for The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, co-authored by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Francis Henry Jenks (1838-1894), American 19th century theater critic
William Jackson Jenks (1870-1960), American 70 year veteran of railroading
Almet Francis Jenks (1853-1924), American lawyer and politician
Arthur Whipple Jenks (1863-1922), American Episcopal theologian
Phineas Jenks (1781-1851), American medical doctor and a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Mr. William Corfield Jenks O.B.E. (1901-1945), British Commander for the Royal Navy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 1939 9
Jorian Edward Forwood Jenks (1899-1963), English farmer, environmentalism pioneer and fascist, "one of the most dominant figures in the development of the organic movement"
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1