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Shank Family History

Shank Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schank or German and Dutch Schenk. English: nickname perhaps for someone with long legs or some peculiarity of gait from Middle English shanke shonke ‘shank leg’ (Old English sceanca).

This vocabulary word was preserved in Scotland whereas in England it was replaced by Old Norse leggr. Compare Cruickshank and Legg.

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


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Where is the Shank family from?

You can see how Shank families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shank family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shank families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 27 Shank families living in London. This was about 40% of all the recorded Shank's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shank families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shank 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 Shank ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Shank. 100% of Shank women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Shank | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Shank family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 69,000 census records available for the last name Shank. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shank census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shank

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Shank. 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 Shank immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Shank. For the veterans among your Shank ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shank military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shank family history

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What is the average Shank lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Shank life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Shank in 1945 was 32, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shank

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shank ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shank family tree

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