The Fenske surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,320 people carried this name — #9,761 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 88,500 people counted. That is down 2% from 3,396 in 2000.

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In Poland’s population register

142 people named Fenske have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 221 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 48
Greater Poland 36
Lubusz 16
Pomeranian 14
Masovian 12
West Pomeranian 8
Lower Silesian 4
Opole 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 129 people named Fenske live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santa Fe.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Santa Fe 55
Buenos Aires Province 38
Río Negro 21
Chaco 15

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

20 people named Fenske live in Switzerland.

They live in 3 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 9
Lucerne 6
Bern 5

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In print

Fenske in American newspapers,
1897.

Newspaper page from The Madison Daily Leader carrying the name Fenske
The Madison Daily Leader 1897-08-21
Newspaper page from The Dakota Chief carrying the name Fenske
The Dakota Chief 1897-08-26
Newspaper page from The Evening Herald carrying the name Fenske
The Evening Herald 1897-08-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,135 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Fenske,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Franz Fenske 1865–1923 · trade unionist
  • Paula Fenske 1882– · artist
  • Paula Ida Fenske 1882–1959 · painter
  • Ernst Fenske 1890–1979 · teacher
  • Elsa Fenske 1899–1946 · politician
  • Meinhard Fenske 1904–1943 · photographer

Wikidata (CC0) · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fenske,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States402 records

402 records of the Fenske name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 194
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 80
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 38
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 37
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 37
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 15
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Arlene H. Fenske

    Born 1917 in Wisconsin. Enlisted 1941 at Chicago, Illinois; auto mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Evergreen Rest Cemetery, Eland, Wisconsin.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ottilie Fenske

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Grosser Kurfurst from Cherbourg, aged 17; servant. From Konitz, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Marvin J. Fenske

    Born 1931; from Outagamie County, Wisconsin. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1952 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 402 records for Fenske in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Germany403 records

403 records of the Fenske name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 399
  • German emigration and citizenship files 4
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Fenske

    Born 1894; from Lauken, Flatow. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 4 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 336).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Julius Fenske

    Emigrated to North America in 1871.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Johann Fenske

    Emigrated to Russia in 1835.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)

Showing 3 of 403 records for Fenske in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada15 records

15 records of the Fenske name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 10
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Elsie Fenske

    Died 1990, aged 81; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Jean Beryl Fenske

    Buried in 2001 at Queen's Park Mausoleum, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Kenneth Gordon Fenske

    Died in service in 1945.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Fenske in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Fenske name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johann Robert Fenske

    In the population register of Zandvoort; waiter, born 1863 in Zoike, Poland.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johanna Gertrud Fenske

    Married in 1924 in Borger.

    Open Archives, Drents Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Frieda Martha Auguste Fenske

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1904 in Graudenz.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Fenske in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia5 records

5 records of the Fenske name in Australia Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Roman Fenske

    Retired die setter of Chilwill, Victoria; died 1986.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record W. Cain Fenske

    Watchman of E Melbourne, Victoria; died 1944.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Rudolph H. Fenske

    Former fruiterer of Prahran, Victoria; died 1959.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Fenske in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Fenske name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Hertha Anne Frida Fenske

    Born 1902 in Poland; died 2000 in Sarrebourg (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fenske.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fenske is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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