Manka History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Welsh Manka surname is thought to derived from name of the village of Machen, located near Caerphilly, in the county of Monmouthshire.

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Matthew.' 1

Early Origins of the Manka family

The surname Manka was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), at Machen, a parish, in the union of Newport, partly in the hundred of Wentlloog, South Wales. 2

Early History of the Manka family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Manka research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1600, 1614 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Manka History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Manka Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Manka has occasionally been spelled Machen, Machin, Machon, Mackon, Makin, Makins, MacMacken and many more.

Early Notables of the Manka family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Thomas Machen (c. 1541-1614), an English mercer who was mayor of Gloucester three times, Member of Parliament for Gloucester in 1614; Bathsua Reginald Makin (c.1600-c.1675) English middle-class proto-feminist who...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Manka Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Manka family to Ireland

Some of the Manka family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Manka migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Manka:

Manka Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jan Manka, aged 24, originally from Sucan, Hungary, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Kaiser Wilhelm II" from Bremen, Germany 3
Franciak Manka, aged 24, originally from Russia, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Finland" from Antwerp, Belgium 3
Franuszek Manka, aged 9, originally from Chzsanor, Galacia, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Imperator" from Southampton, England 3
Martha Manka, aged 24, originally from Wloclawek, Poland, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Berengaria" from Southampton, England 3
Josef Manka, aged 32, originally from Czestockowa, Poland, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Manka (post 1700) +

J. Ashford Manka, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1956 4

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html