Hawkens
A masculine name derived from the Middle English word "hauekesferd", meaning "hawk keeper".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Hawkens. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hawkens today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hawkens births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hawkens. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hawkens. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,219
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Hawkens: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hawkens by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hawkens during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hawkens
The given name Hawkens is derived from the Old English word "hafoc," which means "hawk." This name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture, tracing back to the 5th century CE. The name was likely given to individuals who were skilled falconers or had a strong connection to these majestic birds of prey.
In early medieval England, the name Hawkens was prevalent among the nobility and those associated with hunting and falconry. Records from the 11th century indicate that Hawkens was a popular name among the Norman aristocracy, who brought the tradition of falconry to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest known references to the name Hawkens can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals with the name Hawkens, indicating its widespread use during that time period.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Hawkens continued to be popular among the English gentry and nobility. Notable bearers of the name include Hawkens de Beaumont (1109-1195), a Norman knight who fought in the Second Crusade, and Hawkens Fitzwilliam (1265-1328), a wealthy landowner and falconer to King Edward II.
During the Renaissance period, the name Hawkens gained further prominence. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Hawkens Howard (1517-1580), an English courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. His diplomacy skills earned him the nickname "the Hawk of England."
In the 17th century, Hawkens Wyndham (1612-1668) was a prominent English politician and member of the Long Parliament, known for his steadfast support of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Hawkens Bingham (1789-1868) was a renowned English explorer and traveler who made significant contributions to the field of Egyptology. His writings and discoveries shed light on ancient Egyptian civilization and its rich cultural heritage.
While the name Hawkens may not be as common today as it once was, it continues to carry a sense of strength, nobility, and a connection to the natural world, particularly with the majestic hawk. Its rich history and enduring legacy make it a unique and fascinating name with deep cultural roots.
People
Hawkens + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hawkens as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hawkens: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hawkens?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hawkens going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Hawkens a common name?
We classify Hawkens as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hawkens most popular?
The single biggest year for Hawkens was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hawkens is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hawkens in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hawkens a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hawkens in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hawkens still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hawkens in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hawkens can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Hawkens?
Find out how many people have the name Hawkens on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.