Find out how popular the last name Bawks is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bawks.

Bawks, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bawks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bawks in America

Bawks is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bawks surname appeared 101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bawks.

The history of the last name Bawks

The surname "BAWKS" is believed to have originated in the county of Norfolk, England, in the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bocce," meaning "a buck" or "a male deer." This word eventually evolved into the Middle English "bokke," and later into the modern English "buck."

The earliest recorded instance of the name "BAWKS" can be found in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk, a legal record of land transactions, from the year 1198. In this document, a certain "Willelmus Bawks" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Aylsham.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings. Here, a "Johannes Bawks" is listed as holding land in the village of Worstead, also in Norfolk.

By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of England. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, a tax record, there is mention of a "Robertus Bawks" living in the city of York.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "BAWKS" was Sir Thomas Bawks, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1350 in Suffolk and participated in several campaigns in France during the latter half of the 14th century.

Another historical figure with this surname was William Bawks, a merchant and alderman of the city of London in the early 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1412-1413.

In the 16th century, the name "BAWKS" can be found in various parish records and tax rolls. One example is John Bawks, a landowner in the village of Somerleyton, Suffolk, mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Richard Bawks served in the Parliamentarian army under Oliver Cromwell. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the name "BAWKS" was still prevalent in East Anglia, particularly in Norfolk and Suffolk. One notable person from this time was Elizabeth Bawks, a poet and writer born in Norwich in 1756.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bawks

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bawks.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bawks was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bawks was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bawks, please contact us.

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