Cowan Surname
Approximately 81,473 people bear this surname
Cowan Surname Definition:
Common surnames in Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and other Lowland counties. (1) Sometimes explained as from Scots cowan, a dry-stone-diker, but I doubt this explanation. (2) It may be a corruption of Colquhoun, the common pronunciation of which is Cohoon.
Read More About This SurnameCowan Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 45,506 | 1:7,965 | 944 |
| England | 8,410 | 1:6,625 | 959 |
| Canada | 8,269 | 1:4,456 | 624 |
| Australia | 6,268 | 1:4,307 | 621 |
| Scotland | 5,740 | 1:933 | 144 |
| New Zealand | 1,578 | 1:2,870 | 421 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,264 | 1:1,460 | 307 |
| Jamaica | 1,185 | 1:2,422 | 381 |
| South Africa | 861 | 1:62,924 | 7,917 |
| Ireland | 292 | 1:16,127 | 1,793 |
| Wales | 226 | 1:13,693 | 1,500 |
| French Polynesia | 221 | 1:1,271 | 181 |
| Thailand | 191 | 1:369,834 | 64,954 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 143 | 1:9,538 | 1,333 |
| Cuba | 121 | 1:95,229 | 2,928 |
| Netherlands | 92 | 1:183,556 | 26,152 |
| Argentina | 63 | 1:678,467 | 46,871 |
| Singapore | 56 | 1:98,352 | 4,171 |
| Philippines | 54 | 1:1,874,782 | 115,801 |
| Spain | 54 | 1:865,778 | 34,484 |
| France | 51 | 1:1,302,406 | 132,002 |
| Nigeria | 49 | 1:3,615,158 | 105,602 |
| Namibia | 47 | 1:51,264 | 6,204 |
| Paraguay | 43 | 1:168,296 | 3,336 |
| Germany | 39 | 1:2,064,243 | 111,952 |
| Brazil | 37 | 1:5,785,793 | 142,916 |
| Cayman Islands | 36 | 1:1,775 | 228 |
| United Arab Emirates | 36 | 1:254,508 | 17,423 |
| Panama | 31 | 1:126,202 | 4,409 |
| Cyprus | 29 | 1:30,513 | 3,329 |
| India | 29 | 1:26,450,530 | 346,896 |
| Cook Islands | 27 | 1:673 | 103 |
| Switzerland | 26 | 1:315,881 | 24,844 |
| Sweden | 25 | 1:393,870 | 27,867 |
| Mexico | 24 | 1:5,171,925 | 29,601 |
| Zimbabwe | 22 | 1:701,738 | 50,656 |
| Malaysia | 20 | 1:1,474,711 | 61,770 |
| Costa Rica | 19 | 1:251,583 | 2,896 |
| Qatar | 19 | 1:124,105 | 14,725 |
| Denmark | 17 | 1:332,042 | 23,714 |
| Sierra Leone | 16 | 1:443,102 | 516 |
| Isle of Man | 15 | 1:5,721 | 1,243 |
| Belgium | 14 | 1:821,189 | 66,436 |
| Norway | 13 | 1:395,560 | 35,657 |
| Colombia | 12 | 1:3,981,173 | 16,511 |
| Ecuador | 12 | 1:1,325,487 | 16,904 |
| Bermuda | 10 | 1:6,528 | 1,005 |
| China | 10 | 1:136,732,157 | 7,199 |
| Czechia | 10 | 1:1,063,347 | 80,937 |
| Japan | 10 | 1:12,784,429 | 45,945 |
| Jersey | 10 | 1:9,920 | 2,003 |
| Liberia | 10 | 1:440,854 | 21,753 |
| Taiwan | 7 | 1:3,349,249 | 20,155 |
| Gibraltar | 6 | 1:5,659 | 991 |
| Hong Kong | 6 | 1:1,222,580 | 5,222 |
| South Korea | 5 | 1:10,248,051 | 1,694 |
| Vietnam | 5 | 1:18,529,211 | 3,282 |
| Chile | 4 | 1:4,404,118 | 44,633 |
| Egypt | 4 | 1:22,983,938 | 62,368 |
| Grenada | 4 | 1:27,134 | 1,180 |
| Guatemala | 4 | 1:4,020,667 | 7,726 |
| Italy | 4 | 1:15,289,172 | 132,955 |
| Oman | 4 | 1:921,993 | 7,313 |
| Russia | 4 | 1:36,030,764 | 577,589 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 1:7,713,954 | 37,548 |
| Bahamas | 2 | 1:195,876 | 1,708 |
| Croatia | 2 | 1:2,114,302 | 85,143 |
| Greece | 2 | 1:5,539,895 | 129,142 |
| Hungary | 2 | 1:4,908,138 | 64,617 |
| Indonesia | 2 | 1:66,124,597 | 756,638 |
| Papua New Guinea | 2 | 1:4,076,858 | 165,791 |
| Poland | 2 | 1:19,004,374 | 199,659 |
| Zambia | 2 | 1:7,924,961 | 45,994 |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 1:9,649,122 | 47,873 |
| Barbados | 1 | 1:287,448 | 2,772 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 1:10,616,434 | 17,077 |
| British Virgin Islands | 1 | 1:31,594 | 1,029 |
| Brunei | 1 | 1:418,731 | 3,893 |
| Cambodia | 1 | 1:15,487,146 | 14,824 |
| Djibouti | 1 | 1:914,932 | 1,612 |
| East Timor | 1 | 1:1,215,928 | 507 |
| Fiji | 1 | 1:894,391 | 4,568 |
| Finland | 1 | 1:5,496,702 | 84,025 |
| Gambia | 1 | 1:1,923,451 | 1,043 |
| Guam | 1 | 1:160,121 | 4,893 |
| Honduras | 1 | 1:8,816,442 | 9,272 |
| Iceland | 1 | 1:380,090 | 11,096 |
| Iraq | 1 | 1:35,021,654 | 31,813 |
| Israel | 1 | 1:8,557,634 | 182,558 |
| Jordan | 1 | 1:8,842,437 | 26,010 |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | 1:17,682,496 | 204,010 |
| Kenya | 1 | 1:46,179,900 | 103,372 |
| Macau | 1 | 1:601,630 | 1,582 |
| Mali | 1 | 1:16,969,035 | 4,067 |
| Malta | 1 | 1:430,272 | 3,380 |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1:2,825,289 | 17,010 |
| Nepal | 1 | 1:28,480,956 | 22,413 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1:178,643,885 | 213,220 |
| Peru | 1 | 1:31,784,123 | 64,452 |
| Saint Lucia | 1 | 1:178,781 | 3,800 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1 | 1:112,659 | 1,704 |
| Serbia | 1 | 1:7,144,948 | 38,459 |
| Tanzania | 1 | 1:52,941,613 | 123,716 |
| Uganda | 1 | 1:39,039,279 | 258,887 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1 | 1:110,375 | 6,934 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 1:3,431,758 | 38,295 |
| Venezuela | 1 | 1:30,204,077 | 85,459 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 1,307 | 1:3,389 | 619 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 4,363 | 1:858 | 141 |
| England | 1,750 | 1:13,929 | 2,089 |
| Wales | 16 | 1:98,026 | 4,293 |
| Isle of Man | 4 | 1:13,567 | 1,192 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7,929 | 1:6,334 | 795 |
Cowan (426) may also be a first name.
Cowan Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
Common surnames in Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and other Lowland counties. (1) Sometimes explained as from Scots cowan, a dry-stone-diker, but I doubt this explanation. (2) It may be a corruption of Colquhoun, the common pronunciation of which is Cohoon. Mr. Alexander Cowan, father of Sir John Cowan of Beeslack is said to have left on record that many of his grandfather's books bore the name of Colquhoun. (3) In the south Highlands the 'Mac' of Macillechomhghain disappears from the name and in Argyllshire, e.g. Iain MacComhain becomes Iain Comhan in Gaelic while the English equivalent is Cowan. Couen 1687. The name of James Cowhen, chaplain in North Berwick, 1560 (CMN.) is most likely from another source. There was an old family of Cowane in Stirling (The Stirling antiquary, v 2, p. 168—178). Cowan's Hospital in Stirling was founded in 1639 by John Cowan, a merchant there, for the support of twelve decayed Guild Brethren (Nimmo, History of Stirlingshire, 2. ed., l, p. 346).
(Celtic) 1 Dweller at a Hollow [Gaelic cobhan or cabhan] 2 abbrev. of MacOwan or MacOwen, q.v.
3 unvoiced form of Gowan, q.v.
Ó Comhdhain A Kilkenny-Waterford sept.
Cowan is also used frequently as a synonym of MacCoan, Coyne and MacKeown, q.v. MIF 70
Ó Comhdhain A Kilkenny-Waterford sept.
Cowan is also used frequently as a synonym of MacCoan, Coyne and MacKeown, q.v. MIF 70
(1) “Builder of Dry Stone Walls” in Gaelic. (2) Also version of Cohen (q.v.).
(Irish, Scottish) Dweller at a hollow; worker in metal, a smith; a corruption of Colquhoun, q.v.; grandson of Comhghan (a twin).
Probably a corruption of Colban, an ancient Celtic name, since Colbanstoun in the S. of Scotl. was corrupted to Cowanstoun.
A blacksmith.
(Gaelic.) Gobhuinn, a smith; Gowan, a Scottish word for a wild flower.
1. A Scottish local name. 2. A form of Gowen.
Cowan Demographics
Average Male Cowan Height
176.9 cm
Average Female Cowan Height
163.07 cm
Sample is predominantly from Anglosphere countries
Cowan Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Cowan Come From? nationality or country of origin
The surname Cowan (Arabic: كووان) is found most in The United States. It may also occur as a variant:. Click here for further possible spellings of this last name.
How Common Is The Last Name Cowan? popularity and diffusion
This surname is the 6,953rd most prevalent last name globally It is held by around 1 in 89,447 people. The surname Cowan is primarily found in The Americas, where 63 percent of Cowan reside; 60 percent reside in North America and 60 percent reside in Anglo-North America. Cowan is also the 416,125th most commonly occurring forename globally, borne by 426 people.
This last name is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 45,506 people, or 1 in 7,965. In The United States Cowan is most numerous in: Texas, where 9 percent are found, Georgia, where 5 percent are found and Tennessee, where 5 percent are found. Outside of The United States this last name exists in 106 countries. It is also common in England, where 10 percent are found and Canada, where 10 percent are found.
Cowan Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The prevalency of Cowan has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people bearing the Cowan surname rose 574 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it rose 481 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it rose 132 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it contracted 78 percent between 1901 and 2014 and in Wales it rose 1,413 percent between 1881 and 2014.
Cowan Last Name Statistics demography
The religious adherence of those carrying the Cowan surname is chiefly Presbyterian (36%) in Ireland.
In The United States Cowan are 12.51% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 59.28% being registered to vote for the political party.
The amount Cowan earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 103.68% more than the national average, earning 704,902 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 66.62% more than the national average, earning R 395,952 per year; in Colombia they earn 0.58% less than the national average, earning $22,569,700 COP per year; in United States they earn 0.48% more than the national average, earning $43,355 USD per year and in Canada they earn 7.02% more than the national average, earning $53,170 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
Cowan Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cowan in the Arabic language | ||
| كووان | kwwan | - |
Search for Another Surname
Cowan Reference & Research
Cowan FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.
Cowan FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.
Sproat DNA Project FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Cowan
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis