Explore the Family Name Shank
The meaning of Shank
1. Americanized form of German Schank or German and Dutch Schenk. 2. English: nickname perhaps for someone with long legs or some peculiarity of gait, from Middle English shanke, shonke ‘shank, leg’ (Old English sceanca). This vocabulary word was preserved in Scotland, whereas in England it was replaced by Old Norse leggr. Compare Cruickshank and Legg.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shank in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Shank saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2539 in terms of commonality, but dropped to 2700 by 2010, representing a -6.34% change. However, the count of people with this surname increased slightly from 13070 in 2000 to 13343 in 2010, an indication of a 2.09% growth. The proportion of people with the Shank surname per 100,000 individuals also decreased by -6.8%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,539 | #2,700 | -6.34% |
| Count | 13,070 | 13,343 | 2.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.85 | 4.52 | -6.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shank
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Shank surname, the Decennial U.S. Census reported some changes over the decade. The percentage of Shanks identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander showed substantial growth, increasing from 0.48% in 2000 to 1.57% in 2010—a change of 227.08%. Those identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable, growing only slightly from 0.99% to 1.04%. The percentage of Shanks identifying as White decreased from 94.12% to 91.97%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.35% to 2.16%. The percentage of Black Shanks saw a small increase, from 2.65% to 2.77%, and there was a 20% increase in Shanks identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, though they still represent a small portion of the total at 0.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.12% | 91.97% | -2.28% |
| Black | 2.65% | 2.77% | 4.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 2.16% | 60% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 1.57% | 227.08% |
| Two or More Races | 0.99% | 1.04% | 5.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.48% | 20% |
Shank 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 Shank is French & German, which comprises 42.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (35.5%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.4% |
| British & Irish | 35.5% |
| Eastern European | 4.9% |
| Other | 17.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Shank
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 Shank have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
What Shank 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 Shank is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS4528 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Funk, Lavender, Colby, Kauffman, Camp, Garland, Emmons, Rowley, Brink, Tait.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shank surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Shank 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.
"Shank" Surname 45.9%
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.
"Shank" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shank" Surname 26.3%
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.
"Shank" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shank?
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 Shank are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition