NameCensus.

UK surname

Schenk

An occupational surname referring to a cupbearer, steward, or one who pours wine.

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Schenk surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava, Tendring and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schenk is 140 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.0%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2013

140 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Schenk had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 97 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Schenk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Schenk surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Schenk 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 46 #30,657
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 117 #25,494
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 109 #28,145
2010 modern 122 #26,876
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Schenks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava, Tendring, Hammersmith and Fulham, Richmond upon Thames and Tower Hamlets. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava Moray
2 Tendring 011 Tendring
3 Hammersmith and Fulham 015 Hammersmith and Fulham
4 Richmond upon Thames 012 Richmond upon Thames
5 Tower Hamlets 027 Tower Hamlets

Forenames

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First names often paired with Schenk

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Schenk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Schenk, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Schenk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Schenk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Schenk is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Schenk 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

Schenk falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Schenk is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Schenk

The surname Schenk is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Middle High German word 'schenke', which means 'cup-bearer' or 'butler'. It originally referred to a person who served wine or other beverages at the court of a nobleman or monarch.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Schenk date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Wolfram Schenk, a German knight who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He is mentioned in the historical records of the Teutonic Order, a German Catholic military order that played a significant role in the Northern Crusades.

Another notable figure with the surname Schenk was Eberhard Schenk, a German politician and diplomat who lived from 1530 to 1592. He served as the Chancellor of the Margraviate of Baden and played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, which ended the religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 16th century, the Schenk family was prominent in the region of Westphalia, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. One of the most famous members of the family from this period was Johann Schenk von Nideggen, a military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was born in 1595 and died in 1645.

The name Schenk can also be found in various place names across Germany, such as Schenkenzell, a town in the Black Forest region, and Schenkenberg, a hill in the city of Wuppertal. These place names likely derived from the surname or were named after individuals bearing the name.

Another notable individual with the surname Schenk was Theodor Schenk, a German composer and violinist who lived from 1756 to 1830. He was a respected musician during his time and composed several operas and other works.

In more recent history, one of the most famous bearers of the surname Schenk was Gerhard Schenk, a German athlete who competed in track and field events. He won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Schenk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schenk 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. Middlesex leads with 27 Schenks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 4.61x
Surrey 11 3.86x
Kent 8 4.01x
Glamorgan 6 5.89x
Lancashire 2 0.29x
Devon 1 0.82x
Fife 1 2.89x
Monmouthshire 1 2.36x
Ross-shire 1 6.22x
Sussex 1 1.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clerkenwell London in Middlesex leads with 9 Schenks recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.17x.

Place Total Index
Clerkenwell London 9 65.17x
Croydon 7 44.22x
Poplar London 7 63.41x
Swansea Town 6 71.86x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 909.09x
Hackney London 3 9.14x
Beckenham 2 76.63x
Kensington London 2 6.15x
Lambeth 2 3.92x
St Pancras London 2 4.25x
West Derby 2 9.85x
Brighton 1 5.03x
Burntisland 1 103.09x
Chepstow 1 138.89x
Frimley 1 123.46x
Hampstead London 1 10.98x
Kingston On Thames 1 14.60x
Lapworth 1 714.29x
Lee 1 34.48x
Lewisham 1 9.39x
Limehouse London 1 15.58x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 10.66x
St Alban Wood Street 1 2500.00x
St George Hanover 1 13.09x
Urray 1 200.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Maria 2
Charlotte 1
Christine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Irida 1
Katherine 1
Lillian 1
Louis 1
Louisa 1
Maran 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Pauline 1
Rosa 1
Sarah 1
Violet 1
Vorce 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Ernest 3
Augustus 2
John 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Augustine 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Conrad 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harding 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Leopold 1
Lombard 1
Louis 1
Nichs.Carl 1
Phillip 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Schenk households.

FAQ

Schenk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Schenk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Schenk surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Schenk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Schenk a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Schenk surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a cupbearer, steward, or one who pours wine.

What does the Schenk map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Schenk 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.