This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Plank family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Plank Family History

Plank Surname Meaning

English (Wiltshire and London): from Middle English plank(e) plaunke ‘plank stiff board; footbridge’ (from Late Latin planca). The surname may be topographic for someone who lived by a footbridge or it may refer to their appearance or occupation such as a tall thin person or a carpenter.

North German: nickname for a cantankerous person from Middle Low German plank ‘quarrel discord’. North German: metonymic occupational name from Middle Low German plank ‘measure for liquids’.

South German: topographic name from Middle High German plank ‘plank palisade’. South German: nickname for a fair-haired man from a variant of Middle High German blanc ‘light shining’.

Dutch (also Van der Plank): topographic name for someone living by a plank ‘footbridge’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Plank family from?

You can see how Plank families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Plank family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Plank families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 57 Plank families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Plank's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Plank families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Plank surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Plank ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Plank. 31% of Plank men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Plank women worked as a Clerk.

View Census Data for Plank | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    31%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Merchant
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    100%

What Plank family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Plank. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Plank census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Plank

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Plank. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Plank immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Plank. For the veterans among your Plank ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Plank military records

You've only scratched the surface of Plank family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Plank family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial