Dawkins
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Daw,” with Daw a short form of David or, in some sources, Day.
The #2,363 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,008 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dawkins is an English patronymic built from the pet form Daw plus the suffix -kins, meaning “little” or “son of.” In surname use, Daw is usually treated as a shortened form of David, though older writers also connect it with a variant pronunciation of Day. The name therefore most likely began as “little Daw” or “son of Daw,” ultimately linked to David.
History
19th-century surname scholars regularly grouped Dawkins with other English names formed from pet forms plus -kin(s), and they also noted related spellings such as Dawkes, Dawks, and Dawkinson. The surname is well established in England and later spread widely through Britain and the English-speaking world. The best-known modern bearer is probably the British politician and author Richard Dawkins.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries often place Dawkins alongside Hawkins, Jenkins, and Perkins as a classic English -kins formation.
From the historical record
“Kiiu (suffix) abbreviated to las and m. Hence Perkins (Peter) became Furkiss and finally Perkes; so also Wilks for Wilkins, Danks for Dankins, Tonks for Tonkins, Dawks for Dawkins, &c ; cf. Hobbins, Hobbiss, and Hobbis, also Hollins, Holliss, Hollis (Holly). On or ow for o. Cf. Poulson and Powlson for Poison (but…”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances