Schenk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Schenk

What does the name Schenk mean?

A multitude of prestigious family names, such as the surname Schenk, 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 Schenk family

The surname Schenk 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 Schenk family

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

Schenk 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 Schenk family

Notables of the period with the surname Schenk 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 of the same period...
Petrus Schenck, or Pieter, or Peter Schenk the elder (1660-1711), was a German engraver and cartographer...
Eduard von Schenk (1788-1841) was Bavarian minister of the Interior, who also wrote popular tragic dramas...

Schenk Ranking

In the United States, the name Schenk is the 4,988^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Schenk is ranked the 340^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,523 people with that name. 2

Schenk migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Schenk Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Martin Schenk, who arrived in America in 1650 3

Schenk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Koenraet Schenk, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Hans Nikel Schenk, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Johannes Schenk, who arrived in Lancaster in 1712
Chr Schenk, who arrived in America in 1731 3
Hans Schenk, who landed in America in 1731 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Schenk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Emma Schenk, who arrived in America in 1800 3
C Schenk, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
Fr Schenk, who landed in Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "St. Pauli" 3
Franz Joseph Schenk, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
August Schenk, who settled in Texas in 1851
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Schenk (post 1700) +

William Schenk, American politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 4th District, 1947-54 4
Sandra D. Schenk, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1976 4
Priscilla Schenk, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1984 4
Lynn Schenk (b. 1945), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from California 49th District, 1993-95; Defeated, 1994 4
Herbert Christian Schenk (1880-1972), American politician, Representative from Wisconsin 2nd District, 1944 4
H. H. Schenk, American politician, Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives from Scotland County, 1942 4
Gene Schenk, American politician, Representative from Michigan 7th District, 1986 4
Frederick Schenk, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for California, 1992 4
Casper Schenk, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Iowa, 1914 4
Otto Schenk (1930-2025), Austrian actor, theatre director and production designer
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Schenk family +

Bismarck

Werner Schenk (1913-1941), German Musikoberfeldwebel who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details