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Plank Family History

Plank Name Meaning

English (Wiltshire and London): from Middle English plank(e) plaunke ‘plank stiff board; footbridge’ (from Late Latin planca). The surname may be topographic for someone who lived by a footbridge or it may refer to their appearance or occupation such as a tall thin person or a carpenter. North German: nickname for a cantankerous person from Middle Low German plank ‘quarrel discord’. North German: metonymic occupational name from Middle Low German plank ‘measure for liquids’. South German: topographic name from Middle High German plank ‘plank palisade’. South German: nickname for a fair-haired man from a variant of Middle High German blanc ‘light shining’. Dutch (also Van der Plank): topographic name for someone living by a plank ‘footbridge’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Plack, Blank, Lank, Plant, Pan, Place, Slack, Plate, Platt, Plass

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Plank family from?

You can see how Plank families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Plank family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Plank families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 149 Plank families living in Wiltshire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Plank's in United Kingdom. Wiltshire had the highest population of Plank families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Plank surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Plank ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bread Baker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Plank. 15% of Plank men worked as a Bread Baker and 75% of Plank women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Plank were Cinema Operator and Household Duties (unpaid). .

View Census Data for Plank | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Bread Baker
    15%
  • Builders Labourer
    15%
  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Cinema Operator
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Plank family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Plank. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Plank census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Plank

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Plank. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Plank immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Plank. For the veterans among your Plank ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Plank military records

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What is the average Plank lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Plank life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Plank in 1948 was 59, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Plank

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