'hawk' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'hafoc', where the root referred to the bird 'hawk' (a raptor).

'hawk' developed from Old English 'hafoc', through Middle English forms such as 'hak'/'hawk', and eventually became the modern English word 'hawk'. The Proto-Germanic ancestor is reconstructed as '*habukaz'.

Initially, it meant 'a bird of prey'; over time it retained this sense while also gaining metaphorical uses (e.g., an aggressive person or policy advocate).