NameCensus.

UK surname

Hawkes

An English occupational surname referring to a person who trained hawks used for hunting.

In the 1881 census there were 4,823 people recorded with the Hawkes surname, ranking it #922 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,792, ranked #992, down from #922 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Luton and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Maldon and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hawkes is 7,370 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.8%.

1881 census count

4,823

Ranked #922

Modern count

6,792

2016, ranked #992

Peak year

1999

7,370 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hawkes had 4,823 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #922 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,792 in 2016, ranked #992.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,008 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hawkes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hawkes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hawkes 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 2,734 #1,076
1861 historical 2,446 #1,194
1881 historical 4,823 #922
1891 historical 5,009 #936
1901 historical 6,405 #867
1911 historical 7,008 #739
1997 modern 7,070 #919
1998 modern 7,357 #922
1999 modern 7,370 #923
2000 modern 7,300 #927
2001 modern 7,144 #925
2002 modern 7,237 #932
2003 modern 7,059 #930
2004 modern 7,087 #925
2005 modern 6,982 #929
2006 modern 6,925 #938
2007 modern 6,967 #943
2008 modern 6,935 #954
2009 modern 7,128 #948
2010 modern 7,244 #952
2011 modern 7,121 #958
2012 modern 6,926 #965
2013 modern 7,015 #966
2014 modern 7,011 #979
2015 modern 6,898 #983
2016 modern 6,792 #992

Geography

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Where Hawkes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Luton and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Maldon, Kettering and South Northamptonshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Luton Bedfordshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 012 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Maldon 006 Maldon
3 Kettering 011 Kettering
4 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
5 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hawkes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hawkes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hawkes, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hawkes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hawkes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hawkes is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Hawkes is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hawkes falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hawkes 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 Hawkes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hawkes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hawkes 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. Middlesex leads with 805 Hawkes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 805 1.71x
Warwickshire 487 4.10x
Essex 404 4.34x
Surrey 404 1.76x
Kent 380 2.36x
Worcestershire 203 3.30x
Staffordshire 194 1.22x
Yorkshire 187 0.40x
Gloucestershire 171 1.85x
Northamptonshire 142 3.20x
Lancashire 130 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 128 4.49x
Cambridgeshire 112 3.75x
Bedfordshire 101 4.14x
Somerset 95 1.25x
Oxfordshire 90 3.09x
Devon 85 0.87x
Hampshire 80 0.83x
Hertfordshire 74 2.28x
Berkshire 62 1.75x
Sussex 53 0.67x
Durham 41 0.29x
Norfolk 40 0.55x
Dorset 36 1.16x
Glamorgan 35 0.43x
Huntingdonshire 32 3.42x
Suffolk 30 0.52x
Derbyshire 29 0.39x
Northumberland 25 0.36x
Cheshire 24 0.23x
Leicestershire 22 0.42x
Wiltshire 19 0.46x
Monmouthshire 15 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.22x
Lanarkshire 13 0.09x
Shropshire 10 0.25x
Cornwall 8 0.15x
Royal Navy 8 1.42x
Lincolnshire 7 0.09x
Cumberland 6 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.40x
Herefordshire 5 0.26x
Midlothian 4 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.37x
Cardiganshire 3 0.26x
Shetland 2 0.42x
Channel Islands 1 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.08x
Merionethshire 1 0.12x
Renfrewshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 156 Hawkes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.94x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 156 3.94x
Luton 87 20.60x
Aston 86 2.63x
West Bromwich 71 7.80x
Islington London 67 1.47x
Camberwell 65 2.16x
Lambeth 56 1.36x
Bethnal Green London 53 2.59x
Chesham 45 42.87x
Bromley London 43 4.15x
Chelsea London 43 3.03x
Hammersmith London 42 3.62x
Deptford St Paul 41 3.31x
Hackney London 36 1.36x
St Pancras London 35 0.92x
Bermondsey 34 2.42x
Edgbaston 34 9.23x
Cheltenham 33 4.63x
Kensington London 33 1.26x
Brighton 30 1.87x
Mile End Old Town London 30 2.99x
Great Waltham 29 76.56x
Springfield 29 71.15x
St Marylebone London 29 1.15x
West Ham 29 1.41x
Chiswick 28 10.88x
Newington 27 1.55x
Bridgewater 26 12.63x
Farnham 26 14.56x
Clerkenwell London 25 2.25x
Chelmsford 24 15.04x
Acton 23 8.33x
Aylesford 23 51.63x
Handsworth 23 5.87x
Southwark St Saviour 23 9.50x
Woolwich 23 3.87x
Burnham 22 64.05x
Greenwich 22 2.93x
Middleton Cheney 22 113.93x
Paddington London 22 1.27x
Poplar London 22 2.47x
Ramsgate 22 8.38x
Lewisham 21 2.45x
Snodland 21 46.07x
Chesterton 20 21.74x
Croydon 19 1.49x
Kings Norton 19 3.44x
Portsea 19 1.00x
Wednesfield 19 8.12x
Toxteth Park 18 0.95x
Bow London 17 2.83x
Canterbury St Mary 17 15.76x
Ipsley 17 78.02x
Leamington Priors 17 5.81x
St Andrewthe Less 17 4.99x
Upton On Severn 17 42.18x
Wolverley 17 31.48x
Great Dunmow 16 33.02x
Liverpool 16 0.47x
Quedgley 16 207.52x
Shoreditch London 16 0.78x
Thames Ditton 16 33.55x
Warwick St Nicholas 16 18.36x
Westminster St Margaret 16 7.04x
Great Missenden 15 42.75x
Limehouse London 15 2.90x
Over 15 84.65x
Reading St Mary 15 5.30x
St George Hanover Square 15 1.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 0.89x
Wootton Wawen 15 40.07x
Hampstead London 14 1.91x
St Martin In Fields 14 4.96x
Stroud 14 7.79x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 13 9.99x
Leyton 13 8.11x
Oxford St Clement 13 17.70x
Oxford St Ebbe 13 15.18x
Twining 13 93.59x
Weymouth 13 22.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 270
Elizabeth 182
Sarah 167
Eliza 104
Emma 96
Emily 79
Jane 77
Ellen 76
Annie 71
Ann 67
Alice 65
Hannah 40
Florence 38
Louisa 37
Margaret 36
Lucy 33
Martha 31
Clara 30
Maria 29
Ada 28
Charlotte 28
Caroline 26
Fanny 26
Edith 25
Harriet 25
Kate 25
Susan 22
Frances 17
Rachel 17
Rose 17
Sophia 17
Agnes 16
Anne 16
Catherine 15
Esther 15
Julia 15
Amy 14
Ethel 14
Harriett 14
Matilda 13
Amelia 12
Gertrude 12
Mabel 12
Rebecca 12
Elizth. 11
Lizzie 11
Jessie 10
Selina 10
Bessie 9
Lydia 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 306
John 208
George 179
Thomas 154
James 126
Henry 118
Charles 110
Joseph 82
Arthur 66
Edward 66
Alfred 64
Frederick 64
Samuel 56
Robert 52
Walter 48
Albert 42
Harry 35
Richard 34
Ernest 27
Herbert 21
Frank 16
Edwin 14
Francis 14
Stephen 14
Thos. 14
Benjamin 13
David 13
Peter 12
Fredk. 10
Wm. 10
Daniel 9
Fred 9
Edgar 8
Edwd. 7
Fredrick 7
Sidney 7
Chas. 6
Edmund 6
Elijah 6
Isaac 6
Reuben 6
Job 5
Leonard 5
Michael 5
Percy 5
Tom 5
Christopher 4
Frederic 4
Harold 4
Horace 4

FAQ

Hawkes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hawkes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,823 people were recorded with the Hawkes surname. That placed it at #922 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hawkes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,792 in 2016. That gives Hawkes a modern rank of #992.

What does the Hawkes surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who trained hawks used for hunting.

What does the Hawkes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hawkes 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.