Schenck
A German surname originally referring to an innkeeper or cup-bearer, and sometimes to a place with a tavern.
The #5,568 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,439 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname goes back to German Schenk, a word used for an inn, alehouse, or public house, and also for the official who served drinks at a table. In surname use, it can therefore point either to someone connected with a tavern or to the office of cup-bearer or wine-server. Some early sources also connect it with place-names derived from the same word.
History
The name is well attested in German-speaking areas, including old noble lines such as Schenk von Geyern and Schenk von Stauffenberg. It also spread into Dutch and English records, where spellings like Schenck and Schenk appear. In English-language sources, it was often glossed simply as a German surname meaning an innkeeper or publican.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older German usage, Schenk was not only a surname element but also a court office tied to serving wine or drink, which helped it become a hereditary family name.
From the historical record
“the old northern English. SCHENCK. (G-er.) From schenke, an inn or public house ; a name of place. SCHERMERHORK (Dutch.) From Shermer, a fencer, and hoorn, a horn, which emblematically expresses strength or power. SCHOONHOVEK (Dutch.) From the name of a town in South Holland, and signifies fine gardens or courts…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names