Shenk
A surname of Germanic origin, often an Americanized spelling of a German or Swiss family name related to a nickname for a person with a limp or a bent leg.
The #9,778 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,164 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shenk is usually explained as a Germanic surname from a nickname or descriptive word connected with a crooked, bent, or limping gait. In some cases it may reflect a dialect form related to German "Schenk," though the exact path can vary by family and region. The spelling with -nk is especially common in North American records, where immigrant names were often simplified or altered.
History
The name appears most often in the United States among descendants of German-speaking immigrants, especially from Pennsylvania German and other central European communities. Its present spelling may reflect local pronunciation, clerical spelling, or later standardization after immigration. Because several similar German surnames exist, individual family lines may have different original forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In American records, Shenk and Schenk can sometimes be hard to separate, because the spelling often shifted even within the same family line.