English privateer involved in the slave trade; later helped build the fleet that in 1588 defeated the Spanish Armada (1532-1595)
"Hawkins, the English privateer who participated in the slave trade before helping to build the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada."
United States jazz saxophonist (1904-1969)
"Curtis Hawkins, the renowned American jazz saxophonist who lived from 1904 to 1969, was celebrated for his smooth tenor playing."
An English patronymic surname, from given names.
"The genealogist traced the family tree of the Hawkins back to a medieval ancestor whose name was derived directly from his father's first name."
The surname Hawkins likely originated as a patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Hawkin, which was either a diminutive form of Henry or an affectionate nickname for someone named Hawk. The addition of the suffix "-s" indicates that it originally meant "son of Hawkin."