Wilk
A surname that likely began as a short form of William or another medieval name beginning with Wil-.
The #5,971 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,574 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical clue is that Wilk was treated by 19th- and early 20th-century surname writers as a shortened form connected with William, especially through medieval pet forms such as Wilkin and Wilke. In that tradition, Wilk is best understood as a nickname or clipped personal-name form built on the Wil- element, rather than a direct occupational or place-name surname. Some writers also link similar forms to Old English personal-name material such as Willa, but the William connection is the most common explanation in the sources here.
History
Harrison lists Wilk alongside forms like Wilkes, Wilkin, and Wilks as related surnames, showing that it was understood within a wider family of medieval diminutives and patronymics. In practice, the name appears most often in English records as a short surname form and later also in regions where English naming patterns spread. Modern bearers are comparatively few in the United States, suggesting it has remained a relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same surname group that includes Wilk also produced the very familiar name Wilkins, which began as a double diminutive of William.
From the historical record
“WILK Wl WILKS, Wilk's (Son) : v. Wilk. WILKSHIRE for Wiltshire, q.v. WILKSON, Wilk's Son : v. Wilk. WILL (Eng.) I a dim. of William, q.v. 2 the A.-Sax. pers. name Willa [f. O.E. willa, will, determination, pleasure, thing”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)