Surname Haws - Meaning and Origin
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Haws: What does the surname Haws mean?
The surname Haws is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle English word "hawe", which means "haw", a type of small fruit similar to a berry. Consequently, it was often used as a metonymic occupational name for someone who resides by a hawthorn tree or a piece of land where hawthorns were common. The surname can also be locational, referencing to places named "Haws" in Cumbria and "Haugh" in Sussex and West Yorkshire. The variations of the surname include Hawes, Haw, Hause, and Hawse. These surnames have evolved over time due to changes in regional accents and spellings. Like many surnames derived from common objects or occupations, Haws or its variants may have independently originated in various parts of England, leading to different families carrying the same or similar surnames with no relation to each other. Today, the surname is spread widely in many English-speaking countries.
Order DNA origin analysisHaws: Where does the name Haws come from?
The surname Haws is of English origin, stemming from the Old English word "hafoc," which means "hawk." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with hawk-like characteristics or possibly for a falconer. In the Middle Ages, it evolved into "Hawk" and over time, various dialects and spellings changed it to "Haws." It was first recorded as a family name in the 12th century in Suffolk County, England.
Today, the Haws surname is most common in the United States, specifically in the states of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. However, it can be found scattered across various English-speaking countries, including Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. There are a significant number of people with the Haws name in Germany too. Despite this, it is still considered quite an uncommon surname. In the U.S. it ranks as the 5860th most common surname with an estimated 5472 people with that name.
Variations of the surname Haws
The surname Haws, primarily of English origin, has several variants, spellings, and surnames derived from similar root words. Variations of this surname include Hawes, Hause, Haas, House, Hoss, Hawse, Haw, Hoes, and Hose.
There may also be connections with the surnames Howes, Hawkes, and Hawks. If we consider name forms from different languages, Haas is also a German, Dutch, and Jewish surname which means "hare" in these languages, but it's not confirmed if they share the same origin.
In general, these names may be of topographic origin, referring to someone who lived by a hawthorn hedge or in a house. However, the specific origin can vary greatly depending on cultural and regional factors, and it's not guaranteed that all people with these surnames or their variations share a common ancestry.
The spelling of surnames often changed over time, affected by factors such as regional dialects and literacy levels. Also, immigration often led to simplified or Anglicized versions of more complex surnames. Hence, it's possible to find more variations of the original surname Haws.
Famous people with the name Haws
- Jim Haws: American college basketball coach and college athletics administrator
- Kay Haws: American actress
- Mike Haws: American television personality
- Montgomery Haws: English cricketer
- Bob Haws: American former head football coach
- Thomas Haws: American-Canadian professional soccer player
- Will Haws: British actor
- John Haws: American former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Anne Haws: renowned director, producer, and screenwriter
- Steven Haws: American conservative commentator and founder and editor of The Barbaric Voice