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

Hawthorne, 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 Hawthorne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hawthorne in America

Hawthorne is the 2167th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hawthorne surname appeared 16,758 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 Hawthorne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne

The surname Hawthorne is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hæg" meaning hedge and "thorn" meaning a thorny tree or bush. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a hawthorn hedge or bush. It is found recorded as early as the 13th century in various spellings such as Hathorne, Haughthorne, and Hawthorn.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Hawethorn, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1282. Another early record is that of John Hauthorne, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. The Hawthorne surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, although the exact spelling varies.

The name Hawthorne has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous is Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), the renowned American novelist and short story writer known for works such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables." He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and his ancestors had settled in the area in the 17th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Hawthorne (1742-1809), an English-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served as an officer in the Continental Army and was present at several key battles, including the Battle of Saratoga.

In the 19th century, John Caldwell Calhoun Hawthorne (1825-1899) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Missouri. He was also a member of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War.

The name Hawthorne has also been associated with several places in England, including the village of Hawthorn in County Durham, and the town of Hawthorn in Wiltshire. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname, referring to areas where hawthorn bushes grew abundantly.

More recently, Robert Hawthorne (1909-1994) was an American actor and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the mid-20th century. He was known for his roles in westerns and often played characters with the surname Hawthorne.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hawthorne

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

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

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

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