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Hawkins Family History

Hawkins Surname Meaning

English: variant of Hawkin with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. English: habitational name with excrescent -s from Hawkinge (Kent). The placename derives from the Old English personal name Heafoc or Old English heafoc ‘hawk’ + the placename forming suffix -ing. This name has been assimilated to the patronymic surname in Devon from Sir John Hawkyns (1532–95) victor against the Spanish Armada (1588) who was a member of the Devon family of Hawkins a branch of a Kentish family from the village of Hawkinge. They held land in Plymouth as long ago as 1480. Irish: variant of Haughn .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hankin, Harkins, Haskin, Haskins, Hopkins, Hawkes, Adkins, Harkin

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Hawkins family from?

You can see how Hawkins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hawkins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hawkins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 290 Hawkins families living in New York. This was about 16% of all the recorded Hawkins's in USA. New York had the highest population of Hawkins families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hawkins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Hawkins ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hawkins. 18% of Hawkins men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Hawkins women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hawkins were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Hawkins | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hawkins family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Hawkins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hawkins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hawkins

Passenger Lists

There are 70,000 immigration records available for the last name Hawkins. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 157,000 military records available for the last name Hawkins. For the veterans among your Hawkins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Hawkins family history

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What is the average Hawkins lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Hawkins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Hawkins in 1940 was 23, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hawkins

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