This interesting surname, with variant spellings Faulks, Fawlks, Fakes and Faulkes, derives from the Norman given name "Fau(l)ques", originally an Old Germanic byname, "Falco", meaning "Falcon". This name would have been given to someone thought to resemble a falcon, for example someone fierce or rapacious. The surname dates back to the early 13th Century (see below). One, John Fakes appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex (1327) and Robert Faukes is noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex (1327). Recordings of the surname from the London Church Registers include: Elizabeth Fawkes who was christened on May 26th 1560, at St.
Mary le Bow Church; Awdrey Fawkes who was christened on October 28th 1565 at the church of Harrow on the Hill; and Jane Fawkes who married William Smieth on April 29th 1614 at St. Mary le Strand Church. The most famous holder of the name was Guy Fawkes, a protestant who adopted Roman Catholicism, and was therefore held to be doubly guilty of the crime of (failing) to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was born in York in 1570, where his house still stands, although now converted to a hotel near the Minster. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Faukes, which was dated 1221, in the "Transcripts of Charters relating to the Gilbertine Houses", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216-1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of fawke leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname fawke is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that fawke has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where fawke is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname fawke provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named fawke are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname fawke, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of fawke developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of fawke could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about fawke and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname fawke, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname fawke were recorded by the chroniclers of the time.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname fawke, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of fawke are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of fawke, and at the same time, of surnames in general.