Pankey

Pankey is an Americanized form of French Panetier: occupational name for a pantryman from panetieran agent derivative of pain ‘bread’. Alteration of the French ending -tier to English -key is typical for American French surnames. The American version originated with two French brothers who emigrated to Virginia in 1700, Jean and Etienne Panetier. [1]

It is also a North American last name and the Anglicized form of the German-language surname Pahnke, which in itself is derived from the diminutive form pank/panek of the Lower Sorbian/Upper Sorbian/Polish word pan for "man", "master" or "mister" (and can thus roughly be translated as "little gentleman", “young noble” or "junker").

Notable people with the surname include:


 * Ashton Pankey (born 1992), American basketball player
 * Aubrey Pankey (1905–1971), African American baritone
 * Eric Pankey (born 1959), American poet and artist
 * George Edward Pankey (1903-?) American historian and genealogist, writer of a comprehensive listing of descendants of John Panetier, who emigrated to North America in 1700.
 * Irv Pankey (born 1958), former American football offensive lineman
 * Peter Pankey, aka "Peter Gunz" (born 1969), American rapper, reality star & TV show host
 * Susan Pedersen Pankey (born 1953), American swimmer
 * Titus Pankey Jr. (1925-2003), African American physicist