2000
#9,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Shenk
A metonymic occupational surname for a tavern keeper, derived from the German word "Schenke" meaning "inn" or "tavern."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,805 Americans carry the last name Shenk. That puts it at #9,401 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,080 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shenk surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,080
Census rank
#9,401
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,318 bearers of the surname Shenk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9401st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shenk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shenk
The surname Shenk has its origins in Germany, emerging in the 14th century. It is likely derived from the German word "schenken," which means "to pour" or "to serve." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked as servers or innkeepers.
Records indicate that the name Shenk first appeared in the town of Schenkenzell, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. This area was known for its vineyards and wine production, further supporting the connection between the name and the act of serving or pouring drinks.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Hausser Chronicles, a historical record from the late 15th century. In this manuscript, a man named Hans Shenk is mentioned as a prominent citizen of Schenkenzell.
By the 16th century, the name had spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Switzerland and Alsace. In 1572, a Swiss farmer named Jakob Shenk is recorded as owning land near the town of Bern.
As the name spread across Europe, various spellings emerged, including Schenk, Schencke, and Schenck. One notable figure was Sir John Schenck, a Dutch military engineer who lived from 1551 to 1619 and served under Prince Maurice of Nassau during the Eighty Years' War.
In the 17th century, members of the Shenk family began emigrating to North America, settling in areas such as Pennsylvania and Maryland. One of the earliest recorded Shenks in America was Hans Shenk, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 and established a farm in what is now Lancaster County.
Another prominent individual with the surname Shenk was Martin G. Shenk, an American historian and genealogist who lived from 1819 to 1892. He authored several works on the history of Pennsylvania and the Shenk family lineage.
In more recent times, Joseph T. Shenk (1857-1941) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania, renowned for his contributions to various educational and charitable institutions.
Overall, the surname Shenk has a rich history dating back to medieval Germany, with its origins likely rooted in the occupation of serving drinks or working as an innkeeper. Over the centuries, the name has spread across Europe and to the Americas, with various notable individuals carrying on the Shenk legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shenk
Among Census respondents with the surname Shenk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Shenk bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shenk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 3,118
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 95
- Two or more races2.1% · 69
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shenk
Shenk appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,314
+23 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 660 places
2020
#9,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,318
+4 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 377 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,118 | 3,291 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,778 | 3,314 | 1.12 | +23 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 660 places |
| 2020 | #9,401 | 3,318 | 1.11 | +4 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 377 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shenk surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,778 | #9,401 | 3.9% |
| Count | 3,314 | 3,318 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.11 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shenk bearers went from 3,314 to 3,318 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 377 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,778 to #9,401.
FAQ
Shenk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shenk?
Name Census estimates that about 3,805 living Americans carry the surname Shenk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,080 residents.
How common is Shenk?
Shenk ranks #9,401 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,318 people with the surname Shenk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shenk.
Has Shenk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shenk went from 3,314 recorded bearers to 3,318. That is an increase of 4 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,778 to #9,401.
What does the Census say about the background of Shenk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shenk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shenk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (3,118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shenk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shenk (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shenk mean?
A metonymic occupational surname for a tavern keeper, derived from the German word "Schenke" meaning "inn" or "tavern." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shenk (1.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Shenk?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Shenk on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.