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

Hawks, 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 Hawks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawks in America

Hawks is the 4105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawks surname appeared 8,639 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hawks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawks 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 Hawks

The surname HAWKS is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hafoc," which means "hawk," a bird of prey. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who exhibited hawk-like characteristics or perhaps worked with hawks as a falconer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HAWKS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a Robert le Hauek is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "le Hauek," reflects the Norman-French influence on English surnames during this period.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, which lists a John Hawke. The Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332 also mention a William Hauk.

The HAWKS surname is closely associated with certain place names in England, particularly Hawksworth in West Yorkshire and Hawkshead in Cumbria. These places likely derived their names from individuals with the HAWKS surname who may have been landowners or prominent figures in those areas.

One notable figure with the HAWKS surname was Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595), an English naval commander and explorer who was a leading figure in the early English slave trade and Elizabethan maritime expansion. Another significant individual was Francis Hawkins (1628-1701), an English philosopher and author known for his work "The Compleat Angler."

Other historical figures bearing the HAWKS surname include Francis Hawkins (1794-1878), an English architect and surveyor, and John Hawkins (1719-1789), an English novelist and writer best known for his work "The Life of Samuel Johnson."

Throughout history, the HAWKS surname has been recorded with various spellings, including Hawke, Hauke, Hauck, and Hauk, reflecting regional and phonetic variations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawks

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!