Shank Family History
Shank Name Meaning
Americanized form of German Schank or German and Dutch Schenk . English: nickname perhaps for someone with long legs or some peculiarity of gait from Middle English shanke shonke ‘shank leg’ (Old English sceanca). This vocabulary word was preserved in Scotland whereas in England it was replaced by Old Norse leggr. Compare Cruickshank and Legg .
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022