Shank Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Shank last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Shank coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Shank last name
Meaning of the Shank last name: long legs. Shank is an English and Scottish surname, a nickname for someone with long legs, from Old English sceanca, "shin, leg". In America the last name can also anglicize Swiss German Schenk. This surname is found in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Scotland.
Arms associated with the Shank name
Coats of arms associated with the Shank surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Shank family history
This is only a glimpse of the Shank story. The full Shank history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Shank coat of arms. Get the full Shank report.
Shank name FAQ
What does the Shank name mean?
Long legs. Common variants include Shanks, Schenk.
Where does the Shank surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Shank coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Shank coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).