Explore the Family Name Plank
The meaning of Plank
1. English (Wiltshire and London): from Middle English plank(e), plaunke ‘plank, stiff board; footbridge’ (from Late Latin planca). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived by a footbridge, or it may refer to their appearance or occupation, such as a tall, thin person or a carpenter. 2. North German: nickname for a cantankerous person, from Middle Low German plank ‘quarrel, discord’. 3. North German: metonymic occupational name from Middle Low German plank ‘measure for liquids’. 4. South German: topographic name from Middle High German plank ‘plank, palisade’. 5. South German: nickname for a fair-haired man, from a variant of Middle High German blanc ‘light, shining’. 6. Dutch (also Van der Plank): topographic name for someone living by a plank ‘footbridge’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Plank in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Plank saw a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Plank was ranked as the 5162nd most popular surname with a count of 6235 individuals bearing it. By 2010, the rank had slipped to 5331st despite a growth in the number of people having this surname to 6534. The proportion per 100k of the population also decreased by 3.9%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,162 | #5,331 | -3.27% |
| Count | 6,235 | 6,534 | 4.8% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.31 | 2.22 | -3.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Plank
Regarding ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census suggests that the majority of individuals with the surname Plank identify as White. In both 2000 and 2010, this group made up over 95% of those with this surname. There was a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic from 1.06% in 2000 to 2.04% in 2010, marking a change rate of 92.45%. The Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races groups also observed minor increases. Meanwhile, there were decreases in the percentage of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals carrying the surname Plank.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.5% | 95.59% | -0.94% |
| Hispanic | 1.06% | 2.04% | 92.45% |
| Two or More Races | 1.07% | 1.16% | 8.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.64% | 0.54% | -15.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.49% | 13.95% |
| Black | 0.29% | 0.18% | -37.93% |
Plank ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Plank is British & Irish, which comprises 44.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (35.1%) and Eastern European (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Japanese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.1% |
| French & German | 35.1% |
| Eastern European | 4.2% |
| Other | 16.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Plank
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Plank have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
What Plank haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Plank is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-L70 and R-Y57, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Roth, Frederick, Leonard, Fry, Wolf, Rauch, Klein, Groves, Bauer, George.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Plank surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Plank have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Plank" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Plank" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Plank" Surname 22.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Plank" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Plank?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Plank are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition