Hawkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Hawkin is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English personal name Hafoc, which continued to be in use until the 13th century. The surname Hawkin was originally derived from the form Havec and the addition of the diminutive suffix -in, which forms Havek-in. The name Hawkin has also been popularly regarded as a pet form of the personal name Henry.

Early Origins of the Hawkin family

The surname Hawkin was first found in Kent at Hawkinge or Hackynge, a parish in the union of Elham, hundred of Folkestone which dates back to at least 1204 when it was listed as Hauekinge and literally meant "place frequented by hawks" or "place of a man called Hafoc", derived from the Old English personal name "hafac" + ing. 1

The present town and civil parish is almost 1 mile (1.3km) east of the original village and is best known as the home of RAF Hawkinge, the closest operational airfield to France and was used extensively during the Battle of Britain in World War II. "Part of the lands and tithes [of East Wickham, Kent] were given by the famous admiral, Sir John Hawkins, in the reign of Elizabeth, to the hospital for distressed mariners founded by him at Chatham, to which they still belong." 2

The family is from " the manor of Hawkinge, Kent, held by Walter Hawkin, 1326 (Parliamentary Writs). The family had previously borne the name of Flegg, for William de Flegg, 13th cent., held a fief in Hawking (Testa de Neville). The family had been seated at Flegg, Norfolk, t. Henry II. " 3

"The Hawkinses of The Gaer, co. Monmouth, and those of Cantlowes, co. Middlesex, claim a local origin from the parish of Hawking, near Folkestone, in Kent, of which Osbert de Hawking was possessor temp. Henry II. The family removed to Nash Court in the parish of Boughtonunder-Bleane in the same county, and there remained until the year 1800. " 4

We must now move to the south of England to Devon and explore "William Hawkins, the first prominent member of the greatest family of merchant seamen and heroes England has known. For his ' skill in sea causes ' this William Hawkins the elder (c. 1532-1595) was much esteemed by Henry VIII., and he was the first Englishman who sailed a ship into the Southern Seas. He had two worthy sons. The first, another William Hawkins, was the most influential resident of Elizabethan Plymouth a merchant and a sailor, the holder of a commission under the Prince of Conde, and, like the rest of his kinsfolk, quite as ready to fight as to trade. His son, a third William, was the founder of the East India Company's first trading-house at Surat, and an ambassador to the Great Mogul at Agra. The most famous of the family was the second son of Henry VIII.'s favourite captain the renowned Sir John Hawkins ; the first Englishman to take a ship into the Bay of Mexico ; the early friend of his relative, the redoubtable Sir Francis Drake." 5

Early History of the Hawkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hawkin research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1514, 1532, 1534, 1553, 1554, 1562, 1571, 1575, 1588, 1589, 1595, 1611, 1622, 1628, 1635, 1640, 1646, 1659, 1662, 1681, 1719, 1729 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hawkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawkin Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hawkin has undergone many spelling variations, including Hawkins, Hawkin, Haykins, Haykin and others.

Early Notables of the Hawkin family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir John Hawkins or Hawkyns (1532-1595), English admiral, second son of William Hawkyns (d. 1553), leader of the Sea Dogs, knighted after he commanded the "Victory" in the defeat of the Spanish Armada...
His only son, Sir Richard Hawkins or Hawkyns (1562?-1622), was a British Naval Commander and was brought up almost from infancy among ships and seamen, whether at Plymouth or Deptford. 6
William Hawkins of Hawkyns (d. 1554?), was a sea-captain and merchant, son of John Hawkyns of Tavistock (d. before 1490.) 6
William Hawkins or Hawkyns (d. 1589), was a sea-captain and merchant, was son of William Hawkins (d. 1553) [q. v.], and elder brother of Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595) [q. v.] 6
Nicholas Hawkins (d. 1534), Bishop-Designate of Ely, nephew and godson of Bishop West of Ely, was born at Putney, and was educated at Eton, whence he was elected scholar of King's College, Cambridge...
Henry Hawkins (1571?-1646), was an English Jesuit, born in London in 1571 or 1575, was second son of Sir Thomas Hawkins, knt., of Nash Court, Kent. 6
John Hawkins (fl. 1635), was an English translator and grammarian, younger brother of Sir Thomas Hawkins (d. 1640), the poet and translator. 6
James Hawkins (1662-1729), was an English organist and composer and a chorister of St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated Mus.Bac. in 1719. 6
John Hawkins (born c. 1611), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Cricklade in 1659; and Francis Hawkins (1628-1681), an English Jesuit, child prodigy and translator, at the age of ten...

Hawkin Ranking

In the United States, the name Hawkin is the 18,668^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Hawkin family to Ireland

Some of the Hawkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawkin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hawkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Hawkin, (b. 1839), aged 19, Cornish farm labourer departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Castilian" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 15th June 1858 8
Mr. Isaac Hawkin, (b. 1840), aged 22, Cornish farm labourer departing from Soton on 4th June 1862 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1862 9
Mrs. Elizabeth Hawkin, (b. 1840), aged 22, Cornish dairy woman departing from Soton on 4th June 1862 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1862 9
Mr. Hawkin, (b. 1862), aged Infant, Cornish settler departing from Soton on 4th June 1862 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1862 9

The Hawkin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Toujours pret
Motto Translation: Always ready.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf