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

Hawker, 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 Hawker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawker in America

Hawker is the 14328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawker surname appeared 2,089 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 Hawker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawker 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 Hawker

The surname Hawker is an English occupational surname derived from the Old English word 'hǽwcere', meaning a hawker or a person who carried merchandise from town to town for sale. The name originated in the 12th century and was first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1182 as 'Haueker'.

The name Hawker can be traced back to the medieval period when hawkers were itinerant traders who sold goods from their hawhkayrs, or portable stalls. They would travel from village to village, selling various items such as haberdashery, books, and household goods. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where many hawkers plied their trade.

One of the earliest known references to the name Hawker can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded a William le Haueker in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also mention a John le Hauker. These records provide evidence of the name's early existence and its association with the occupation of hawking.

Notable individuals with the surname Hawker include Sir John Hawker (1643-1677), an English naval officer who served during the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and Robert Hawker (1753-1827), an English clergyman and writer best known for his book "Incidents in the Life of the Rev. Robert Hawker, D.D." Another prominent figure is Peter Hawker (1786-1853), an English country gentleman and renowned writer on shooting and fishing.

In the 19th century, the name Hawker gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Stephen Hawker (1803-1875), a renowned Anglican clergyman and author from Cornwall, who is best known for his poem "The Song of the Western Men." Additionally, Mary Hawker (1848-1898) was a British novelist and children's author, known for her works such as "The Bread of Deception" and "The Cabul Felicity."

Hawker is also the name of several places in England, such as Hawker in Cornwall and Hawker's Hill in Suffolk, which may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname or from the occupation of hawking in those areas.

The surname Hawker has a rich history deeply rooted in the English tradition of itinerant trade and commerce, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawker

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

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

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

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