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

Hawke, 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 Hawke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawke in America

Hawke is the 17290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawke surname appeared 1,637 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hawke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawke 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 Hawke

The surname Hawke originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'hafoc', meaning 'hawk', and likely referred to someone who was a falconer or keeper of hawks. The name was initially found in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire.

The earliest known record of the name Hawke appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where it is written as 'Hauoc'. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also mention a 'Richard Hauk' in Lincolnshire. Over time, the name evolved to its modern spelling of 'Hawke'.

In the 14th century, the Hawke family held lands in Brasted, Kent, and the name is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for that county in 1337. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a 'John Hauk' is listed.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Hawke (c. 1520-1595), an English naval commander who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was knighted for his services in the English victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Another prominent figure was Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke (1705-1781), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Seven Years' War. He is best known for his victory over the French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

The name Hawke is also associated with the town of Hawkesbury in New South Wales, Australia, which was named after Baron Hawkesbury, the Lord President of the Committee of Trade and Foreign Plantations in the late 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hawke include Benjamin Hawke (1676-1738), an English politician and landowner, and Ethan Hawke (born 1970), an American actor, writer, and director.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawke

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

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

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

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