Shenk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

A multitude of prestigious family names, such as the surname Shenk, were formed in the lands which became the modern state of Silesia. In the medieval era, Germany was fragmented and inhabited by numerous Barbarian tribes, who fought amongst themselves for control of the land. The ancient dukedom of Silesia derived its name from the Germanic tribe named the Silingers, who occupied Silesia between the 2nd and the 6th centuries.

Early Origins of the Shenk family

The surname Shenk was first found in Silesia, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from the 13th century onwards. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. The name Schenck was associated with service to many princely families, and several bearers of the name achieved prominent positions, such as Werner Schenck von Reicheneck, who was bishop of Bamberg in 1329.

Early History of the Shenk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shenk research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1660, 1711, 1764, 1788 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Shenk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shenk Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Schenck, Schenk, Schencken, Schencker, Schenken, Schenker, Schaenker, Schaencker, Shenkin and many more.

Early Notables of the Shenk family

Notables of the period with the surname Shenk were Schenk von Limburg (middle of 13th century), who was a noted German poet in the service of the Hohenstaufen Kings. Schenk von Lisseburg was also a poet...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shenk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shenk Ranking

In the United States, the name Shenk is the 9,634^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Shenk migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shenk Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Johannes Shenk, who landed in New York in 1684-1685 2

Shenk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Shenk, aged 40, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Hans Georg Shenk, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Christopher Shenk, aged 29, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Henry Shenk, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
Jacob Shenk, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Shenk Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William W. Shenk, aged 40, arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Lusitania" from Liverpool, England 3
Jessie C. Shenk, aged 43, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Imperator" from Southampton, England 3
Margaret Shenk, aged 24, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Shenk (post 1700) +

John W. Shenk, American politician, Justice of California State Supreme Court, 1926-31 4
John Shenk (1782-1846), American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Hamburg, Pennsylvania, 1830-41 4
David Shenk, American writer, lecturer, and filmmaker, known for his books The Genius in All of Us (2010), Data Smog (1997), The Forgetting (2001), and The Immortal Game (2006)
Henry Arthur Shenk (1906-1989), American football player and coach, he played for the University of Kansas (1926-1927) and then coached the same team (1943-1945)
Thomas E. Shenk, American James A. Elkins Jr. Professor in the Life Sciences in the department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University
Aaron Shenk Kreider (1863-1929), American Republican politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1913-1923) 5
Aaron Shenk Kreider (1863-1929), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 18th District, 1913-23 6

Citations +

"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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2013, November 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html