The Hawthorne surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,758 people carried this name — #2,167 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,600 people counted. That is up 5% from 15,968 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Hawthorne surname

A topographic or habitational surname from Middle English for someone who lived near a hawthorn hedge or in a place with such a name.

Variant of Hawthorn.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Hawthorne» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the hawthorn’.

An early record he cites: John atte Horethorne, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Hawthorn and Hawthorne.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 367 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 27 births for the Hawthorne name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 12 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, and Armagh.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 23
Leinster 2
Connacht 1
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Hawthorne was recorded 12 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1665th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 11. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Hawthorne in American newspapers,
1894–1913.

Newspaper page from Truth carrying the name Hawthorne
Truth 1906-02-17
Newspaper page from St. Croix Avis carrying the name Hawthorne
St. Croix Avis 1894-01-10
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Hawthorne
The Salt Lake Tribune 1913-12-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,814 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Hawthorne in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2010s.

30,370 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hawthorne. The most, 5,099, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,709
Queensland 7,713
Victoria 4,881
South Australia 2,207
Western Australia 893
Tasmania 838
ACT (Canberra) 37
Northern Territory 11

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hawthorne.

Who carried it

People named Hawthorne,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804–1864 · writer
  • James C. Hawthorne
    James C. Hawthorne 1819–1881 · physician
  • Robert Hawthorne
    Robert Hawthorne 1822–1879 · bugler
  • Eleanor Hawthorne d. 1945
  • Charles Hawthorne 1760–1831 · politician
  • Charles Hawthorne 1760–1831 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Hawthorne,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,255 records

1,255 records of the Hawthorne name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 517
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 240
  • Other U.S. records 498
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Gene Hawthorne

    Born 1933; from Lupton, Arizona. U.S. Army, infantryman; died in an accident 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Francis D. Hawthorne

    Born 1921 in Virginia. Enlisted 1943 at Nashville Ac Facilities, Tennessee; stock clerk. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Sherwood Memorial Park, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria Hawthorne

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Rome from Liverpool, aged 30; servant. From Liverpool, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,255 records for Hawthorne in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia372 records

372 records of the Hawthorne name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 176
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 87
  • Other Australian records 109
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Hawthorne

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Shipley, arriving 1818; ticket of leave 1835. Native of Worcestershire.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas S. Hawthorne

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Royal Charter, aged 34; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Winifred Kate Hawthorne

    Retired manageress of New Zealand, Victoria; died 1994.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 372 records for Hawthorne in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada51 records

51 records of the Hawthorne name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 13
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 10
  • Other Canadian records 28
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helen Hawthorne

    Buried in 1999 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 98.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret Hawthorne

    Died 1919 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Roy Thomas Hawthorne

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 51 records for Hawthorne in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Hawthorne name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 16
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Hawthorne

    Died 1981, aged 84; buried at Aberfoyle Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Hawthorne

    Corporal, South Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. E. Hawthorne

    Lance Bombardier, Royal Horse Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Hawthorne in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Hawthorne name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Hawthorne

    Died 1957, aged 71; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Herbert Andrew Hawthorne

    Died 1984; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Hawthorne

    Died 1886, aged 61; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Hawthorne in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Hawthorne.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Hawthorne is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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