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

Hawk, 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 Hawk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawk in America

Hawk is the 2149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawk surname appeared 16,884 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hawk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawk to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hawk

The surname "Hawk" originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hafoc," which means "hawk" or "falcon." The name was initially given as a nickname to someone who had a keen eye or was particularly skilled in hunting with hawks.

The earliest recorded mention of the Hawk surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, which refer to a person named William Havoc. The name also appears in other historical records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1207, which mentions a Robert Hauek.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Hawk surname was Robert le Hauk, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1262. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also list a Nicholas le Hauk.

The name Hawk has been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Hawkridge in Buckinghamshire and Hawksworth in Yorkshire. These places may have contributed to the development of the surname or been named after early bearers of the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Hawk include:

1. Sir Robert Hawk (c. 1570-1639), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Seaford in 1628.
2. John Hawk (1711-1781), an English engraver and publisher known for his work on maps and atlases.
3. Francis Lister Hawks (1798-1866), an American Episcopal bishop and author who served as the Rector of St. Thomas' Church in New York City.
4. Robert Hawk (1865-1938), an American baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the late 19th century.
5. Philip Hawk (1900-1971), an American stage and film actor who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood movies in the 1930s and 1940s.

The surname Hawk has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, engravers, clergymen, athletes, and actors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawk

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

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 Hawk 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hawk has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Hawk was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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