Find out how popular the last name Monken is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Monken.

Monken, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Monken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Monken in America

Monken is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Monken surname appeared 208 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Monken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Monken to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Monken

The surname Monken is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "munec," meaning "monk," and was likely bestowed upon someone who had a connection to a monastery or a religious order.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, which mention a Robert Moneken in 1196. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a William Moneken is listed.

In the 14th century, the name was further documented in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John Moneken. Additionally, a Richard Monken is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1399.

The Monken surname is also closely associated with place names, particularly those derived from the Old English word "munec." For example, the village of Monken Hadley in Hertfordshire was once known as "Monekene Hadley," meaning "the heathland of the monks."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Monken surname. One of the earliest was John Monken (c. 1350-1428), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1398 to 1428.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Monken (c. 1570-1628), an English soldier and courtier who served as the Governor of Pendennis Castle in Cornwall during the reign of King James I.

In the 18th century, Humphrey Monken (1718-1789) was a notable English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and country houses in the Georgian style.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Monken (1823-1890) was a British politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Truro from 1868 to 1874.

Lastly, Sir Horace Monken (1860-1935) was a distinguished British naval officer who held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the China Station from 1917 to 1919.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Monken

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Monken.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Monken was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Monken has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Monken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Monken, please contact us.

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