Faulk
An old surname that usually began as a nickname or a shortened form of Faulkner, linked to a falcon.
The #3,084 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,488 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Faulk is most likely connected with Middle English falcon-related surnames, especially Faulkner, from Old French falconier / falconer, meaning a keeper or trainer of falcons. In some families it may also reflect a shortened form of the medieval personal name Falco, ultimately from Latin falco, "falcon." The core idea is association with the bird of prey, either through occupation or as a personal-name nickname.
History
The surname appears in English records in forms that overlap with Faulkner, Falk, and other falcon-based names, so later spellings can be hard to separate cleanly. In many cases Faulk seems to be a clipped or simplified spelling that developed from those longer forms. It is well established in English-speaking countries and is especially common in the United States in modern times.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word behind this name is the same one that gave English the bird name falcon.
From the historical record
“Mary Hine : St. Geo. Han. So. i. 168. 1774. — John Rummins and Ann Faulk- ner : ibid. p. 347. 180S. — J<^n Rumens and Marg. Cat- ley : ibid, il 282.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)