SHANKS
The surname Shanks is traditionally associated with the British Isles, particularly Scotland and northern England, where it has been in use for many centuries. It is characteristically pronounced as /ʃæŋks/ and is listed in the Scottish Register of Surnames as one of the oldest surviving family names in the region.
Its earliest etymology can be traced to the Old English word sceanca, meaning “leg”. In the Anglo‑Saxon period a nickname given to a person with especially long or thin legs was adopted as a hereditary surname, and the form Shanks evolved to become common in the north of England and throughout Scotland.
During the early Middle Ages the word sceanca was preserved in Scotland and in the northern parts of England, whereas in the rest of the country the Norse-derived term leggr for “leg” was preferred. The surname persisted within English law records – for example, Stephen Schankes appears in the Norfolk Hundred Rolls of 1275, and in Scotland Murdoch Shank was granted lands at Kinghorn, Fife, by Robert the Bruce in 1319.
Historical references for the name stretch back to the early twelfth century. The first recognisable spelling – Lefwine Scanches – is recorded in the “Records of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds”, Suffolk, dated 1095 during the reign of King William I (known as Rufus). A later grant, dated 15 August 1562, awarded a Coat of Arms to a resident of Rollesby, Norfolk; the blazon was a gold fess between three gold escallops on a purple field. The escallop, traditionally worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land, symbolises dedication to distant endeavours and fidelity.
In the early seventeenth century John Shanks, who died in 1636, is recorded as an actor in the initial productions of the play house that later became known as the Globe. He is listed in Shakespeare’s second folio of 1623, proving that bearers of the surname were engaged in the cultural life of the period.
In contemporary times the surname remains most common in Scotland and in the north of England, but it has spread to other English‑speaking countries through emigration. The name is still strongly associated with its Celtic heritage, and those who bear it often have genealogical links that can be traced to Gaelic-speaking families in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Typical given names associated with the Shanks surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Jean
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Shanks in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Shanks are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 4,507 people named Shanks in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,080th most common surname in Britain. Around 69 in a million people in Britain are named Shanks.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Shanks
- Michael Shanks - Canadian actor
- Michael Shanks - Archaeologist
- William Shanks - Amateur calculator, school owner (1812 to 1882)
- Edward Shanks - Poet (1892 to 1953)
- Emily Shanks - Russian artist (1857 to 1936)
- Don Shanks - Football player
- William Somerville Shanks - Painter (1864 to 1951)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.