Hawkar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The many generations and branches of the Hawkar family can all place the origins of their surname with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name reveals that an early member worked as a hawker, or someone who held land in exchange for providing hawks to a lord. The surname Hawkar is derived from the Old English word hafocere, which means falconer or hawker. 1

Early Origins of the Hawkar family

The surname Hawkar was first found in Gloucestershire where Robert le Haukere was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214. Mabill Haueker was found in Suffolk in 1221 and Robert le Hauker was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1283. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list some of the early variations of the name: John le Haueker in Wiltshire; and Hugh le Haukere in Cambridgeshire. 3

Early History of the Hawkar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hawkar research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1721 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Hawkar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawkar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Hawkar were recorded, including Hawker, Hawkar, Hawkir and others.

Early Notables of the Hawkar family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Hawker (d. 1723), was an English "portrait-painter, according to Vertue, came to live in Sir Peter Lely's house after Lely's death, in the hope of benefiting by the famous associations of the house. This hope was not realised. He is known by a full-length portrait of the Duke of Grafton...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hawkar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hawkar family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Hawkar family emigrate to North America: John Hawker arrived in the Leeward Islands in 1654; Timothy Hawker arrived in Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)