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

Hawkes, 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 Hawkes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawkes in America

Hawkes is the 6162nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawkes surname appeared 5,555 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hawkes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawkes 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 Hawkes

The surname Hawkes originated in England, with records dating back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'hafoc,' meaning 'hawk,' and was likely initially used as an occupational name for someone who bred or handled hawks for hunting. The earliest known spelling variations include Hauck, Hauker, and Haukere.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named William Haueker is listed as a landowner in Norfolk. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1221, which mention a William le Hauker.

Notable individuals with the surname Hawkes throughout history include Sir John Hawkes (c. 1532-1595), an English military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Anglo-Spanish War. Another prominent figure was Thomas Hawkes (1616-1675), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Hawkes (1754-1816) was a British inventor and engineer who is credited with designing the first modern-day grasshopper escapement for clocks. Edward Hawkes (1789-1882), an English clergyman and author, published several works on theology and church history.

During the 19th century, John Hawkes (1801-1873) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall. Francis Lister Hawkes (1848-1908) was a renowned English archaeologist and pioneering field researcher in the early study of British prehistory.

The surname Hawkes has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Hawkesbury in Gloucestershire and Hawksworth in West Yorkshire, further reflecting its early origins and widespread distribution across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawkes

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

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

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

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