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Wenk Family History

Wenk Name Meaning

North German East Frisian and North Frisian: from a shortened form of the Frisian-Low German personal name Weneke itself a pet form of an ancient Germanic compound name beginning with wini ‘friend’. This surname is very rare in North Frisia. German: topographic name for someone who lived by a turning or bend Middle High German wenke. North German: from Middle Low German wenke wenneke ‘wide woolen dress’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of such garments. German: nickname from Middle High German wenken ‘to waver’ for an indecisive person. Sorbian (Ẃenk Wěnk): from a pet form of the Old Sorbian personal name Wěcsław (Latinized as Wenceslaus; see Vaclav ).

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


Similar surnames: Weck, Wenck, Beck, Denk, Wank, Penk, Reck, West, Renk, Werk

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wenk family from?

You can see how Wenk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wenk family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wenk families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 6 Wenk families living in Manitoba. This was about 50% of all the recorded Wenk's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Wenk families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wenk 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 Wenk ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wenk. 15% of Wenk men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Wenk women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wenk were Clerk and Maid. .

View Census Data for Wenk | 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

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    14%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Secretary
    8%
  • Maid
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wenk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Wenk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wenk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wenk

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wenk. 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 Wenk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Wenk. For the veterans among your Wenk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Wenk lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Wenk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Wenk in 1961 was 56, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wenk

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