This will surprise some of you that the name SHANKS which is to be found in Franklin Co. has two origins 1. Ulsterscots from, N. Ireland, 2 Germans from Germany. I am in the process of trying to trace them in N. Ireland in the 1700's. Gordon Crooks ----- Original Message ----- From: "ssh" <ssh@prattlibrary.org> To: "Gordon Crooks" <gordoncrooks@worldnet.att.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 1:33 PM Subject: Re: Look uo please > Mr. Crooks, > > As always, this surname search turned out to be interesting and perhaps > raised more questions than answers. My first reference of choice is > Patrick Hanks’ Dictionary of American Family Names and once again it did > not fail. Some of the following you may already have discovered. > > Shanks (v. 3, p. 330) Scottish and northern Irish: nickname for someone > with long legs or some peculiarity of gait, from Old English /sceanca > /“shin bone”, “leg”. This vocabulary word was preserved in Scotland, > whereas in England it was replaced by Old Norse /leggr./ > > / / > > As we know there can be similar sounding names from different linguistic > sources which may or may not be related, so I played around with the > sounds and spelling variations . The following may be worth pondering. > > Schanck, Dutch var. of Schenk > > Schank, German and Dutch var. of Schenk > > Schanke, North German and Norwegian, var. of Schenk > > Schenck, German variant of Schenk > > Schenk, Schenke. (v.3, p. 286) 1. German and Dutch: from Middle High > Germa, Middle Dutch /schenke/, “cupbearer,””wine server” (from Old High > German, /scenko/, from /scenken/ “to pour out or serve”, hence an > occupational name for a cupbearer or server of wine. As a German name it > also denotes a tavernkeeper. In another development, similar to English > BUTLER, the word came to be used as an honorary title for a high court > official, and some cases of the surname may have arisen from this use. > 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic) metonymic occupational name for an innkeeper, > from German /Schenke,/ “inn”, “tavern”. At one time only Jews were > allowed to sell alcohol in the Russian empire. > > Now comes the wrinkle. > > Schenkel (v.3, p. 286) German, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname > for someone with long or otherwise notable legs, from Middle High German > /schenkel/, Middle Dutch, /schenke/l, /schinkel/ “thigh”, “lower leg”, > German /Schenkel/ “thigh”. > > Dictionary of German Names by Hans Bahlow confirms the spelling and > meaning of schenkel and schinkel as thigh or lower leg. > > Hope this will prove helpful. > > Eva Slezak > > > > > > Gordon Crooks wrote: >> Hi I would like a look up for the surname SHANKS. I have always >> assumed this is a Germanic name, however I was recently told of Shanks >> being in Belfast , N. Ireland in the mid 1700's. I am very distantly >> related to Shanks via my Crunkleton line in Franklin Co., Pa. and have >> looked at them closely. Shanks were and still are "Old Order River >> Brethren" establish in Germany around 1723. They today are very simlar >> to Amish except they use electricty and drive cars (all painted black) >> and the men dress like the Amish beards, no buttons, black clothing >> and the women a little more liberal dress like the Mennonites. >> Gordon Crooks >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> Scanned MGW2 > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.323 / Virus Database: 270.12.32/2118 - Release Date: 05/16/09 17:05:00