Karl Theodor Menke (13 September 1791 – 1861) was a German malacologist and balneologist who was a native of Bremen.
Menke studied medicine at the University of Göttingen (with Promotion in 1814), and worked as a physician at the spa in Bad Pyrmont.
During his lifetime, Menke amassed a large collection of snail shells, which were purchased by dealer M. J. Landauer of Frankfurt after his death.
The sea snail species Cerithium menkei and Natica menkeana are named in honor of Menke.
In 1843, Menkea a genus of flowering plants from Australia, belonging to the family Brassicaceae was published and named in his honour.