NameCensus.

UK surname

Hawe

A locational surname derived from the Old English word "hawe" meaning a nook or small enclosed area.

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Hawe surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, up from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Wolstanton and Wilmslow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Cheshire East and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hawe is 374 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.5%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

1891

374 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hawe had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 374 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hawe surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hawe surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hawe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hawe over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 139 #13,659
1861 historical 323 #7,888
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 374 #9,343
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 203 #14,831
1997 modern 198 #17,729
1998 modern 220 #17,074
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 224 #16,716
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 224 #16,918
2005 modern 214 #17,378
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 222 #17,288
2008 modern 222 #17,442
2009 modern 231 #17,331
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 252 #16,689
2014 modern 249 #16,954
2015 modern 248 #16,905
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Hawes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Wolstanton, Wilmslow, Manchester and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Cheshire East, East Riding of Yorkshire and Colchester. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Wilmslow Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 005 Selby
2 Selby 007 Selby
3 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Colchester 001 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hawe

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hawe surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hawe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hawe, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hawe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hawe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hawe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hawe is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hawe falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hawe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hawe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hawe

The surname HAWE is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "haewe" meaning "hedge" or "thicket." It is believed to have originated in the region of Warwickshire, England, during the 8th or 9th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HAWE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hawa" and "Hawe." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England and provided valuable insights into the distribution of surnames at the time.

During the Middle Ages, the HAWE surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire. It is thought that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived near or worked with hedges or thickets, as these were important markers of land boundaries and agricultural practices.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the HAWE surname was Robert Hawe, a landowner and freeman recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1275. This document was a census-like survey that provided valuable information about the population and landholdings in the county.

Another early bearer of the HAWE surname was John Hawe, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. These rolls were tax records that documented individuals who were required to pay taxes to the Crown.

During the 16th century, the HAWE surname began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds. William Hawe (c. 1540-1611) was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In the 17th century, Thomas Hawe (1628-1702) was a prominent British politician and member of Parliament, representing the borough of Gloucestershire in the House of Commons.

Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Samuel Hawe (1732-1801), an English painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes.

Throughout its history, the HAWE surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Hawes in Yorkshire and Hawe Park in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hawe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hawe surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 37 Hawes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.44x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 2.44x
Yorkshire 21 1.66x
Middlesex 14 1.10x
Lincolnshire 8 3.92x
Staffordshire 8 1.85x
Durham 7 1.84x
Northamptonshire 6 4.99x
Norfolk 5 2.54x
Cheshire 4 1.42x
Suffolk 3 1.93x
Warwickshire 3 0.93x
Devon 2 0.75x
Dumfriesshire 2 7.08x
Gloucestershire 2 0.80x
Royal Navy 2 13.13x
Surrey 2 0.32x
Sussex 2 0.93x
Cornwall 1 0.69x
Glamorgan 1 0.45x
Lanarkshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 8 Hawes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.69x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 8.69x
Wolstanton Oldcott 8 512.82x
Pinchbeck 7 534.35x
West Derby 7 15.78x
Broughton In Salford 6 43.29x
Wellingborough 6 99.34x
Habergham Eaves 5 36.08x
Holt 5 746.27x
Manchester 5 7.33x
Romanby 5 2777.78x
Bollin Fee 4 320.00x
Hackney London 4 5.58x
Chilvers Coton 3 225.56x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 36.81x
Holy Trinity 3 9.85x
Poplar London 3 12.44x
Sunderland 3 44.71x
Walberswick 3 2307.69x
York St Mary 3 57.25x
Brighton 2 4.60x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 87.72x
Clifford Cum Boston 2 175.44x
Darlington 2 13.62x
Dryfesdale 2 153.85x
Mile End Old Town London 2 7.35x
Moss Side 2 25.06x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 9.76x
Royal Navy 2 15.36x
Skelton In Great 2 1538.46x
Southwark Christchurch 2 33.39x
St Marylebone London 2 2.93x
York St Saviour 2 165.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 3.02x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 23.09x
Bishop Auckland 1 19.61x
Bromley London 1 3.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.15x
Farington 1 113.64x
Glasgow 1 1.36x
Hampstead London 1 5.03x
Heighington 1 357.14x
Kenwyn 1 26.46x
Llanguick 1 25.06x
North Meols 1 6.74x
Paddington London 1 2.13x
Stickney 1 333.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hawe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hawe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Thomas 8
John 7
James 6
William 4
Henry 3
Albert 2
George 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Geo.R. 1
Herbert 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Robt 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Hawe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hawe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Hawe surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hawe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Hawe a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Hawe surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the Old English word "hawe" meaning a nook or small enclosed area.

What does the Hawe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hawe bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.