NameCensus.

UK surname

Hawks

An English surname referring to a person with hawk-like qualities or a hawker of goods.

In the 1881 census there were 786 people recorded with the Hawks surname, ranking it #4,726 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, down from #4,726 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Snodland with Paddleworth, Rainham and Waltham, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochford, South Somerset and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hawks is 876 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 81.3%.

1881 census count

786

Ranked #4,726

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

1861

876 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hawks had 786 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,726 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 876 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hawks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hawks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hawks 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 833 #3,251
1861 historical 876 #3,170
1881 historical 786 #4,726
1891 historical 782 #5,134
1901 historical 574 #7,311
1911 historical 406 #9,196
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 123 #24,643
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 144 #22,501
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 131 #26,089
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Hawks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Snodland with Paddleworth, Rainham, Waltham, Great, London parishes and Thurrock, Grays. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochford, South Somerset, Newcastle upon Tyne, Lambeth and Lewisham. 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 Snodland with Paddleworth Kent
2 Rainham Kent
3 Waltham, Great Essex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Thurrock, Grays Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochford 003 Rochford
2 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 005 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Lambeth 018 Lambeth
5 Lewisham 035 Lewisham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hawks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hawks

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hawks is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hawks is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hawks falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hawks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hawks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hawks 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. Kent leads with 119 Hawks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.57x.

County Total Index
Kent 119 4.57x
Middlesex 91 1.19x
Essex 72 4.78x
Yorkshire 69 0.91x
Surrey 52 1.40x
Hertfordshire 47 8.93x
Warwickshire 32 1.66x
Durham 29 1.28x
Lincolnshire 27 2.21x
Buckinghamshire 19 4.11x
Devon 19 1.20x
Glamorgan 19 1.43x
Huntingdonshire 16 10.55x
Northumberland 15 1.32x
Derbyshire 14 1.17x
Lancashire 12 0.13x
Somerset 12 0.98x
Sussex 12 0.93x
Berkshire 11 1.92x
Gloucestershire 10 0.67x
Hampshire 10 0.64x
Leicestershire 8 0.94x
Midlothian 8 0.78x
Northamptonshire 8 1.11x
Oxfordshire 8 1.70x
Cambridgeshire 7 1.45x
Worcestershire 7 0.70x
Herefordshire 6 1.92x
Suffolk 6 0.64x
Staffordshire 4 0.16x
Monmouthshire 3 0.54x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.29x
Wiltshire 3 0.44x
Bedfordshire 1 0.25x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.32x
Dorset 1 0.20x
Flintshire 1 0.49x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Offley in Hertfordshire leads with 21 Hawks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 614.04x.

Place Total Index
Offley 21 614.04x
Aston 19 3.58x
Halstead 18 102.33x
Kensington London 13 3.06x
Beckenham 12 35.22x
Maidstone 12 15.46x
Hampstead London 11 9.25x
Rainham 11 153.63x
Sutton Courtney 11 464.14x
Camberwell 10 2.05x
Clapham 10 10.47x
Deptford St Paul 10 4.98x
Lambeth 10 1.50x
Buckden 9 329.67x
Stockton On Tees 9 8.22x
Apley 8 1632.65x
Aston Cum Aughton 8 129.24x
Birmingham 8 1.25x
Bolsover 8 133.33x
Brighton 8 3.08x
Exeter St Thomas The 8 49.35x
Halling 8 234.60x
Methley 8 75.05x
St Albans St Peter 8 45.05x
Stainton Le Vale 8 1951.22x
Tillingham 8 300.75x
Bridgewater 7 20.97x
Islington London 7 0.95x
Leicester St Margaret 7 3.39x
Shadwell London 7 32.76x
St George In East London 7 9.74x
Swansea Town 7 6.42x
Wellingborough 7 19.38x
Brightside Bierlow 6 4.04x
Chatham 6 8.37x
Elswick 6 6.62x
Great Waltham 6 97.72x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 12.32x
Hornsey 6 6.21x
Mile End Old Town London 6 3.69x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 4.90x
Portsea 6 1.96x
Sibertswold 6 437.96x
St George Hanover Square 6 4.46x
Swinton In Rotherham 6 29.99x
Tottenham 6 4.93x
West Ham 6 1.80x
Bedlington 5 13.18x
Edinburgh St Marys 5 25.14x
Foulness 5 270.27x
Hertford St John 5 63.69x
Kimberworth 5 11.90x
Kingston On Thames 5 5.59x
Mashbury 5 1351.35x
Mile End New Town London 5 33.13x
Ramsgate 5 11.75x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 61.65x
Wycombe 5 14.53x
Aberdare 4 4.38x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 4 14.55x
Bengeo 4 65.47x
Bournmoor 4 112.04x
Gateshead 4 2.35x
Gillingham 4 7.44x
Havercroft Cum Cold 4 307.69x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 4.06x
Holmer 4 70.92x
Holy Trinity 4 2.20x
Horton 4 177.78x
Little Waltham 4 263.16x
Liverpool 4 0.73x
Newington 4 1.42x
Plumstead 4 4.60x
Sculcoates 4 3.33x
Sholden 4 396.04x
Stainburn 4 888.89x
Tormoham 4 5.95x
Williton 4 97.09x
Winlaton 4 18.35x
Winterbourne 4 48.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 54
Henry 38
John 35
Thomas 24
George 21
Edward 19
James 18
Charles 15
Walter 12
Robert 10
Frank 9
Alfred 8
Joseph 8
Samuel 8
Harry 7
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Herbert 5
Albert 3
Fred 3
Philip 3
Caleb 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Geo. 2
Lewis 2
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Anthony 1
Augustus 1
Charley 1
Daniel 1
Elias 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Geo.Henry 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Johna 1
Jonas 1
Laurence 1
Leo 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Hawks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hawks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 786 people were recorded with the Hawks surname. That placed it at #4,726 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hawks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Hawks a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Hawks surname mean?

An English surname referring to a person with hawk-like qualities or a hawker of goods.

What does the Hawks map show?

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