Shanks may refer to:

• Alison Shanks (born 1982), New Zealand professional racing cyclist
• Bill Shanks, American sports broadcaster and writer
• Bruce Shanks (1908–1980), American editorial cartoonist
• Charles G. Shanks (1841–1895), American journalist and editor
• Daniel Shanks (1917–1996), American mathematician
• Don Shanks (footballer) (born 1952), British footballer
• Don Shanks (stuntman) (born 1950), American actor and stuntman
• Donald Shanks (bass-baritone) (1940–2011), Australian operatic bass-baritone
• Edward Shanks (1892–1953), English writer
• Emily Shanks (1857–1936), British painter, born in Russia
• George Shanks (1896–1957), British writer, first translator of the Protocols of Zion into the English language
• Hershel Shanks (1930–2021), American founder of the Biblical Archaeology Society
• Howie Shanks (1890–1941), American baseball player
• James Steuart Shanks (1826–1911), British merchant in Moscow
• John Shanks (born 1964), American rock musician and songwriter
• John Peter Cleaver Shanks (1826–1901), U.S. Representative from Indiana
• Juanita Craft (1902–1985), born Juanita Jewel Shanks, American civil rights pioneer
• Katrina Shanks (born 1969), New Zealand politician
• Michael Shanks (born 1970), Canadian actor best known for his role as Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1
• Michael Shanks (archaeologist) (born 1959), British archaeologist
• Michael Shanks (journalist) (1927–1984), British journalist
• Michael Shanks (politician) (born 1988), Scottish politician
• Nancy Shanks (c. 1956–2019), American singer associated with Tori Amos
• Nelson Shanks (1937–2015), American painter
• Niall Shanks (1959–2011), British-American professor of history and philosophy
• Norman Shanks (born 1942), Church of Scotland minister
• Oliver Shanks (1915–1970), Canadian boxer
• Robert Shanks (footballer), English professional footballer
• Robert Shanks (pharmacologist) (born 1934), British pharmacologist
• Rosalind Shanks, British actress
• Simon Shanks (1977–2006), American football player
• Tommy Shanks (1880–1919), Irish soccer player
• William Shanks (1812–1882), English amateur mathematician, famous for his calculation of over 500 of digits of π, by hand
• William Somerville Shanks (1864–1951), Scottish artist
• Jordan Shanks-Markinova, Australian YouTube personality known as Friendlyjordies

• Edward I (1239–1307), English king known as "Longshanks"
• Nathan G. Evans (1824–1868), Confederate Army general nicknamed "Shanks"
• Bill Shankly (1913–1981), British football manager nicknamed "Shanks"

• Camp Shanks, a United States Army installation in the town of Orangetown, New York
• Mount Shanks, a mountain in British Columbia, Canada
• Shanks, West Virginia in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States
• Shanks Islands (Tasmania), Australia

• Dacre Shanks, a character parodying undead serial killer Freddy Krueger in the novel Demon Road
• Professor Shonku (nicknames include Shanks), a character created by Satyajit Ray
• Shanks (One Piece), a character in the manga series One Piece

• Shanks (film), a 1974 movie directed by William Castle and starring Marcel Marceau
• Tringa, a genus of waders, containing the shanks and tattlers
• Armitage Shanks, a UK toilet manufacturer
• F & R Shanks, British coachbuilders*
• Shanks & Bigfoot, a British songwriting/production duo
• Shanks Group plc, a UK waste mangamement company
• Shanks Restaurant, a former Michelin starred restaurant in Northern Ireland

• Shank (disambiguation)