Brunk
A surname of uncertain origin, most likely a short German form built from the stem brun-, meaning “brown.”
The #8,359 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,946 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Brunk is usually connected with German brun-, a stem meaning “brown,” found in many medieval names and nicknames. It may have arisen as a shortened or altered form of a longer German personal name or byname built on that stem. Because the excerpts do not give a direct dictionary entry, the exact pathway is uncertain.
History
Brunk appears in German surname material and later in North American records, where it is carried by families of German ancestry. In some cases it may be related to other German forms such as Brunke, Brunn, or Brun-, but the historical evidence here is too thin to be definitive. The name is established in the United States, though not among the most common surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same brun- stem that likely underlies Brunk also turns up in many medieval German names and place-names connected with the color brown or with brown-haired people.
From the historical record
“Brummer 100« Brunk 53. Bruntsch 101. Brust 100.”
— Die oberdeutschen Familiennamen