Cowen Surname

39,887th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 13,159 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Luxembourg

Cowen 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 Surname

Cowen Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States7,1891:50,4196,094
England3,1141:17,8932,564
Australia1,3841:19,5062,705
Canada6011:61,3077,184
South Africa1761:307,82829,442
New Zealand1521:29,7925,213
Scotland1041:51,4794,410
Ireland641:73,5774,518
Northern Ireland571:32,3693,269
France491:1,355,566135,191
Wales441:70,3306,116
Luxembourg441:13,1942,619
Argentina381:1,124,82767,975
Panama221:177,8305,396
Thailand171:4,155,197336,594
Spain151:3,116,80265,296
United Arab Emirates91:1,018,03036,884
Brazil61:35,679,055486,536
Poland61:6,334,792156,558
Israel51:1,711,52784,568
Japan51:25,568,85950,629
Jersey51:19,8403,614
Netherlands51:3,377,435111,911
India41:191,766,3461,073,940
Germany41:20,126,365436,245
Saudi Arabia41:7,713,95437,548
Hong Kong31:2,445,1619,595
Finland21:2,748,35172,663
Belgium21:5,748,322130,559
Nicaragua21:3,010,5457,383
Denmark21:2,822,35876,882
China21:683,660,78330,601
Switzerland21:4,106,458122,336
Taiwan21:11,722,37363,559
Malaysia21:14,747,112316,340
Jamaica21:1,434,97411,081
Vietnam21:46,323,0275,235
Gibraltar11:33,9541,660
Guernsey11:64,4392,137
Indonesia11:132,249,194811,426
Isle of Man11:85,8224,091
Bermuda11:65,2793,010
Botswana11:2,186,92930,250
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
Italy11:61,156,688199,583
Philippines11:101,238,223404,861
Sweden11:9,846,757347,448
Ecuador11:15,905,84650,210
Russia11:144,123,056881,408
Norway11:5,142,286129,201
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland721:61,5264,797
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England1,5441:15,7872,331
Scotland731:51,2773,490
Isle of Man181:3,015339
Wales141:112,0304,740
Jersey61:8,6471,503
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States2,8591:17,5652,240

Cowen (402) may also be a first name.

Cowen 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).

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

= Cowan, q.v.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(Irish, Scottish) Dweller at a hollow; worker in metal, a smith; a corruption of Colquhoun, q.v.; grandson of Comhghan (a twin).

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Probably a corruption of Colban, an ancient Celtic name, since Colbanstoun in the S. of Scotl. was corrupted to Cowanstoun.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A blacksmith.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

(Gaelic.) Gobhuinn, a smith; Gowan, a Scottish word for a wild flower.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

Contracted from the Mac Eoghain, which has been corrupted into Mac Owen, The name Eoghan is glossed by Cornac as meaning 'Well-born' and suggests the Latin (originally Greek) Eugenius.

The celebrated Owen More was King of Munster, in the time of Conn of the hundred battles, whom he obliged to divide the whole of Ireland equally with him.

'Mac Gilla Cowan and a few of O’Connor's people were slain’ A.D. 1330.

Manx Names (1890) by Arthur William Moore

Cowen Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Cowen Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Cowen (Arabic: كاوين) occurs in The United States more than any other country/territory. It may be rendered as:. For other potential spellings of Cowen click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Cowen? popularity and diffusion

The last name Cowen is the 39,887th most prevalent last name on earth. It is borne by around 1 in 553,807 people. This surname is primarily found in The Americas, where 60 percent of Cowen live; 59 percent live in North America and 59 percent live in Anglo-North America. Cowen is also the 430,375th most widespread first name throughout the world, held by 402 people.

This last name is most prevalent in The United States, where it is carried by 7,189 people, or 1 in 50,419. In The United States Cowen is most frequent in: California, where 12 percent reside, Texas, where 10 percent reside and New York, where 7 percent reside. Not including The United States it occurs in 49 countries. It also occurs in England, where 24 percent reside and Australia, where 11 percent reside.

Cowen Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Cowen has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Cowen last name rose 251 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it rose 202 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it rose 142 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it declined 11 percent between 1901 and 2014 and in Wales it rose 314 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Cowen Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those carrying the Cowen surname is chiefly Catholic (56%) in Ireland.

In The United States Cowen are 11.24% more likely to be registered Republicans than The US average, with 58.01% registered with the party.

The amount Cowen earn in different countries varies greatly. In South Africa they earn 73.6% more than the national average, earning R 412,536 per year; in United States they earn 8.25% more than the national average, earning $46,710 USD per year and in Canada they earn 14.19% more than the national average, earning $56,734 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Chowen91380/
Cowhen9118/
Coween911/
Cowend911/
Cowgen911/
Cowien910/
Cowene910/
Cowenn910/
Cowean910/
Coen8911,808/
Cown89360/
Chowhen8311/
Chouwen831/
Cowhein830/
Cowisen830/
Chown803,563/
Cowin803,389/
Choen801,056/
Coven80921/
Coben80528/
Cawen80287/
Cowne80235/
Kowen80149/
Coyen8080/
Cojen8071/
Coien8011/
Zowen8011/
Ckown802/
Cgown802/
Couen801/
Cowyn801/
Cownd800/
Cohwn800/
Tchouwen771/
Choowean771/
Kouwen73606/
Cousen73342/
Covent73284/
Cobean73232/
Cawein73229/
Chowin73155/
Chowne73127/
Cobeen7389/
Cojeen7384/
Couten7382/
Zouwen7375/
Choven7369/
Chouen7353/
Cuiwen7353/
Chuwen7351/
Cobein7343/
Cowain7342/
Choyen7319/
Cawaen7318/
Coggen7317/
Chawen7315/
Couven7311/
Couben737/
Covene737/
Coveen737/
Qoswen736/
Kowaen734/
Zowein734/
Cohien733/
Choben733/
Chhoen733/
Cauwen733/
Cawien733/
Cohgen732/
Chowhn732/
Coeven732/
Cquown732/
Coihen732/
Zuowen732/
Caouen732/
Kowene732/
Koween732/
Choenn732/
Cobeyn731/
Ccowin731/
Cooben731/
Covean731/
Covein731/
Coeian731/
Coiven731/
Kowein731/
Chojen731/
Choien731/
Couene731/
Coejin731/
Chuown731/
Cogien731/
Couyen730/
Cowinn730/
Coejan730/
Kowenn730/
Cowine730/
Cohben730/
Cowion730/
Chouweine711/
Koen6717,722/
Coin674,776/
Cuen674,761/
Cean672,178/
Caen671,213/
Chawene67381/
Kown67346/
Coun67270/
Couvent67195/
Couenne67146/
Cein67146/
Coussen6746/
Tchouen6741/
Cawn6735/
Chowhin6730/
Tchawen6730/
Chhouen6726/
Cousien6718/
Zhuowen6713/
Coyn6712/
Chobein679/
Khowean679/
Ceun677/
Coín677/
Chobenh676/
Koweang675/
Chooyen675/
Chouben674/
Khuowen674/
Covetin674/
Cobn673/
Choveyn673/
Coutten672/
Couvein672/
Cowaine672/
Chouwin672/
Chovene672/
Chouene672/
Cejn671/
Chawhen671/
Chawwen671/
Cousenn671/
Zouwein671/
Zown671/
Quoiwen671/
Kachwen671/
Chobean671/
Ceán671/
Cohieng671/
Cuwn671/
Cowaing671/
Coswing671/
Cuiweng671/
Kowheng671/
Cawheen670/
Caswent670/
Coytten670/
Covn670/

Cowen Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Cowen in the Arabic language
كاوينkawyn-

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Cowen 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.

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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 Cowen
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis