Banks Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Banks last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Banks last name
Meaning of the Banks last name: dweller by a slope or bank. Banks is a northern English name for a family whose home sat on a hillside slope or a riverbank, from Middle English banke, a word of Scandinavian origin. It is most common in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. The botanist Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook in 1768, made the name famous, and Banks Island in Canada and the Banks Peninsula in New Zealand are named after him. The Old Norse word banki, "ridge, bank", entered English through Scandinavian settlement in the north, and the name is recorded from the 13th century. The singular Bank and the related Bankes are also found. Banks families emigrated early to the American colonies, especially to Virginia and New England, and the name is now common throughout the United States.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Banks name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Banks name in England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Australia and Scotland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Banks pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Banks coat of arms for you.
Banks name FAQ
What does the Banks name mean?
Dweller by a slope or bank. Common variants include Bank, Bankes, Banke.
Where does the Banks surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Scotland.
Is there a Banks coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Banks crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Banks coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.