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Zenk Family History

Zenk Surname Meaning

South German: unflattering nickname for a quarrelsome person from a derivative of Middle High German zenken zanken ‘to provoke’.

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


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Where is the Zenk family from?

You can see how Zenk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zenk family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Zenk families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 12 Zenk families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 75% of all the recorded Zenk's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Zenk families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zenk surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Zenk ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Zenk. 27% of Zenk men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Zenk women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Zenk were Farm Laborer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Zenk | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    13%
  • Waitress
    13%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Housewife
    10%

What Zenk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Zenk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zenk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Zenk

Passenger Lists

There are 869 immigration records available for the last name Zenk. 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 Zenk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Zenk. For the veterans among your Zenk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Zenk military records

You've only scratched the surface of Zenk family history

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What is the average Zenk lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Zenk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Zenk in 1943 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Zenk

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Zenk ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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