NameCensus.

UK surname

Pank

Anglicized version of the German surname "Pankrath", derived from the personal name Pankratius.

In the 1881 census there were 208 people recorded with the Pank surname, ranking it #12,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 195, ranked #19,921, down from #12,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret and Scottow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Norwich, Birmingham and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pank is 227 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.3%.

1881 census count

208

Ranked #12,511

Modern count

195

2016, ranked #19,921

Peak year

1911

227 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pank had 208 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016, ranked #19,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 227 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Pank surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pank surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pank surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pank over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 101 #17,036
1861 historical 140 #16,169
1881 historical 208 #12,511
1891 historical 159 #17,636
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 227 #13,795
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 187 #18,857
1999 modern 185 #19,127
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 183 #18,980
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 193 #18,622
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 184 #19,485
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 190 #19,656
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 202 #19,389
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 195 #19,921

Geography

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Where Panks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret, Scottow and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Norwich, Birmingham, Hillingdon and Solihull. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
3 Scottow Norfolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Norwich 012 Norwich
2 Birmingham 083 Birmingham
3 Hillingdon 017 Hillingdon
4 Solihull 030 Solihull
5 Birmingham 115 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pank

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pank surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pank

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pank, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Pank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Pank household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Pank is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pank is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pank falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pank is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pank, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pank

The surname Pank is of German origin, deriving from the old German word "Panken" which referred to a type of thickly wooded forest or grove. The name first emerged in the regions of modern-day Bavaria and Austria during the medieval period, around the 12th century.

Early records indicate that the Pank name was commonly associated with individuals who lived near or in densely forested areas, likely serving as a descriptive identifier or reference to their place of residence. Some of the earliest known mentions of the Pank surname can be found in historical documents from the region, such as town records and tax rolls.

One notable early reference to the Pank name is found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a 9th-century manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This manuscript contains a record of a landowner named Guntramnus Pancho, likely an early variant spelling of the Pank name.

The Pank surname began to spread beyond its original geographical confines as families migrated and settled in other parts of Europe. By the 16th century, individuals bearing the Pank name could be found in various regions of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Pank surname was Hans Pank, a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Biberach, near Augsburg in Bavaria, during the late 15th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann Pank, a merchant and trader who resided in the city of Nuremberg in the early 16th century, born around 1490.

Throughout the centuries, the Pank surname has been associated with several notable figures across various fields. One such individual was Wilhelm Pank, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1835 in Saxony, who made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy.

Another prominent bearer of the Pank name was Friedrich Pank, a German artist and painter born in 1856 in Hanover, known for his landscapes and portraiture during the late 19th century. In the field of literature, there was also Karl Pank, a German novelist and short story writer born in 1891 in Berlin, whose works explored themes of urban life and social commentary.

Other individuals with the Pank surname include Otto Pank, a German military officer and tactician born in 1870, who served in the Imperial German Army during World War I, and Heinrich Pank, a German architect and urban planner born in 1881 in Dresden, who was influential in the development of modern architectural styles in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pank surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 92 Panks recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.49x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 92 29.49x
Middlesex 40 1.97x
Surrey 16 1.62x
Worcestershire 13 4.91x
Hertfordshire 8 5.72x
Northamptonshire 7 3.67x
Warwickshire 7 1.37x
Kent 5 0.72x
Lincolnshire 5 1.54x
Hampshire 4 0.96x
Durham 2 0.33x
Essex 2 0.50x
Glamorgan 2 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.73x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Suffolk 1 0.40x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scottow in Norfolk leads with 13 Panks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4193.55x.

Place Total Index
Scottow 13 4193.55x
Bethnal Green London 10 11.35x
Norwich St Andrew 10 1886.79x
North Walsham 9 400.00x
Chipping Barnet 8 326.53x
Lakenham 8 180.59x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 8 898.88x
South Lynn 8 227.27x
Aston 7 4.97x
Hammersmith London 7 14.01x
Kings Norton 7 29.46x
Peterborough 7 50.65x
Dudley 6 18.63x
Heigham 6 35.84x
Norwich St Stephen 6 209.79x
St Pancras London 6 3.67x
Bermondsey 5 8.28x
Greenwich 5 15.48x
Newington 5 6.67x
Norwich St Clement 5 138.12x
South Mimms 5 179.86x
Frimley 4 141.84x
Norwich St Michael At 4 220.99x
Portsea 4 4.91x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 3 32.02x
St Andrew Holborn 3 43.60x
All Hallows Barking 2 392.16x
Bow London 2 7.74x
Caistor St Edmund 2 2000.00x
Costessey 2 298.51x
East Retford 2 84.39x
New Sealford 2 298.51x
Pinchbeck 2 96.15x
Sheringham 2 250.00x
St Giles In Fields 2 28.57x
Swansea Town 2 6.91x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.93x
Broxholme 1 1250.00x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.09x
Cromer 1 90.09x
Ealing 1 5.52x
East Dereham 1 25.38x
East Ham 1 13.46x
Framlingham 1 57.14x
Gressenhall 1 172.41x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 158.73x
Kensington London 1 0.89x
Kimberworth 1 8.96x
Lambeth 1 0.57x
Layton With Warbreck 1 11.33x
North Bedburn 1 59.17x
Norwich St Giles 1 100.00x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 1 285.71x
Richmond 1 7.22x
Runton 1 285.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pank surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 9
Annie 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Elizabeth 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Ann 1
Betsey 1
Cecil 1
Constance 1
Eliz. 1
Emely 1
Enma 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Katie 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Martha 1
Mellie 1
Mildred 1
Pheobe 1
Polly 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pank surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 12
George 11
William 8
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Robert 6
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
James 3
Arthur 2
Josiah 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alaxender 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Arther 1
Charls 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Harvey 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
Isiaah 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Shirington 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Pank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 208 people were recorded with the Pank surname. That placed it at #12,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016. That gives Pank a modern rank of #19,921.

What does the Pank surname mean?

Anglicized version of the German surname "Pankrath", derived from the personal name Pankratius.

What does the Pank map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pank bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.