Gowan Surname
Approximately 6,915 people bear this surname
Gowan Surname Definition:
This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the smith' (Gaelic).
Gowan Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,001 | 1:90,592 | 10,185 |
| Canada | 986 | 1:37,369 | 4,735 |
| England | 599 | 1:93,018 | 9,976 |
| Nigeria | 526 | 1:336,773 | 18,331 |
| Australia | 247 | 1:109,294 | 12,192 |
| New Zealand | 97 | 1:46,684 | 7,635 |
| South Africa | 95 | 1:570,292 | 44,274 |
| Papua New Guinea | 79 | 1:103,212 | 13,927 |
| Scotland | 64 | 1:83,653 | 6,073 |
| Ireland | 54 | 1:87,203 | 4,973 |
| Northern Ireland | 37 | 1:49,866 | 4,222 |
| Thailand | 20 | 1:3,531,917 | 315,217 |
| Uganda | 19 | 1:2,054,699 | 65,771 |
| Jamaica | 16 | 1:179,372 | 5,614 |
| India | 13 | 1:59,005,029 | 552,550 |
| United Arab Emirates | 8 | 1:1,145,284 | 40,289 |
| Wales | 7 | 1:442,076 | 21,198 |
| Indonesia | 6 | 1:22,041,532 | 555,748 |
| Pakistan | 6 | 1:29,773,981 | 92,487 |
| Malawi | 4 | 1:4,279,777 | 24,060 |
| France | 3 | 1:22,140,907 | 385,998 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1:14,247,805 | 235,975 |
| Denmark | 2 | 1:2,822,358 | 76,882 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1:8,443,588 | 136,641 |
| Germany | 2 | 1:40,252,730 | 481,636 |
| Benin | 2 | 1:5,167,801 | 84,334 |
| Cameroon | 2 | 1:10,384,534 | 165,830 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 2 | 1:55,188 | 6,229 |
| Estonia | 1 | 1:1,321,804 | 40,178 |
| Norway | 1 | 1:5,142,286 | 129,201 |
| Guam | 1 | 1:160,121 | 4,893 |
| Austria | 1 | 1:8,515,435 | 118,036 |
| Zambia | 1 | 1:15,849,922 | 53,989 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 1:16,082,668 | 12,169 |
| Guyana | 1 | 1:762,221 | 14,420 |
| Liberia | 1 | 1:4,408,535 | 47,110 |
| Mexico | 1 | 1:124,126,205 | 103,776 |
| Tanzania | 1 | 1:52,941,613 | 123,716 |
| Sweden | 1 | 1:9,846,757 | 347,448 |
| Spain | 1 | 1:46,752,036 | 156,870 |
| Philippines | 1 | 1:101,238,223 | 404,861 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 118 | 1:37,541 | 3,496 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 319 | 1:76,412 | 8,322 |
| Scotland | 131 | 1:28,574 | 2,505 |
| Wales | 6 | 1:261,403 | 9,165 |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 1:54,269 | 2,077 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 792 | 1:63,407 | 6,919 |
Gowan (825) may also be a first name.
Gowan Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the smith' (Gaelic).
From Gaelic gobha, 'a smith,' or perhaps a shortening of Mac gobhann or Mac a' ghobhainn, 'son of the smith.' The smith was a man of importance in most of the clans, so that the name has no particular connection with any one clan. The Gows are usually included in Clan Chattan though there are many of the name in Perthshire, and eleven of the name appear in the Commissariot Record of Dunblane in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. George Gow and Henry Gow were burgesses of Dysart, 1580 (Dysart, p. 40), and Michael and Robert Gow in Culcoly were among the followers of Stewart of Kinnaird in a raid in 1595 (RPC.). The tradition that the Gows are descended from 'Hal o' the Wynd,' who took part in the clan battle on the Inch of Perth, 1396, is merely a piece of folklore.
Colin Gowin Kenvay in Tiree denounced rebel, 1675 (HP., I) (Kenway his place of residence). The usual genitive form of gobha, 'a smith,' is gobhainn, but it is often the same as the nominative and made Gowan. (2) Some of this name may be from Govan, which see, as Gowan was a common sixteenth century spelling of the place name (v, and w interchanged).
(Celt) genit. (gobhan) of Irish and Gaelic gobha: v. Gow and MacGowan. But Gaelic Gobhainn (nom.) also = Smith.
Mac an Ghabhann, Mac Gabhann In Co.
Cavan, the homeland of this sept, the name has been widely changed by translation to Smith (though Smithson would be a truer translation); but in outlying areas of Breffny MacGowan is retained. IF 22*, 164; Map Cavan
Ó Gabhann Though this has also become Smith it is distinct from MacGowan. Bibl; IF 164; Map Arm-Down
(Scottish, Irish) The worker in metals, a smith; one who came from Govan, in Lanarkshire.
Gael. A smith.
Scotch, a 'Daisy,' which is also (but why, it is difficult to guess) an English surname.
A blacksmith.
A daisy.
(Gaelic.) A smith. The Gowan or smith of a Highland clan was held in high estimation. His skill in the manufacture of military weapons was usually united with great dexterity in using them, and with the strength of body which his profession required. The Gowan usually ranked as third officer in the chief's household.
Contracted from Mac-an-Gabhain, 'The Smith’s Son'.
The smith in olden times was a very important personage, as being the maker of armour and weapons, and since this trade, like others in that day, descended from father to son, its designation would soon become used as a surname.
'Maelbrighde Mac-an-Ghobhann', a.d. 1061.
Henry Gawen was 'Atturney' in 1517.
Gowan Demographics
Gowan Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Gowan Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Gowan Come From? nationality or country of origin
The last name Gowan (Hindi: गोवान, Marathi: गोवन, Oriya: େଗାୱାନ) is borne by more people in The United States than any other country or territory. It may be found as:. Click here for further potential spellings of Gowan.
How Common Is The Last Name Gowan? popularity and diffusion
This surname is the 71,404th most commonly occurring last name on a global scale, held by approximately 1 in 1,053,875 people. The last name Gowan occurs mostly in The Americas, where 72 percent of Gowan live; 72 percent live in North America and 71 percent live in Anglo-North America. It is also the 284,410th most prevalent first name throughout the world, borne by 825 people.
The last name Gowan is most numerous in The United States, where it is held by 4,001 people, or 1 in 90,592. In The United States it is primarily found in: Texas, where 10 percent are found, South Carolina, where 10 percent are found and California, where 8 percent are found. Outside of The United States it is found in 40 countries. It is also found in Canada, where 14 percent are found and England, where 9 percent are found.
Gowan Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The occurrence of Gowan has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people bearing the Gowan last name grew 505 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 188 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it contracted 51 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it contracted 54 percent between 1901 and 2014 and in Wales it grew 117 percent between 1881 and 2014.
Gowan Last Name Statistics demography
The religious adherence of those bearing the Gowan last name is principally Catholic (48%) in Ireland.
In The United States Gowan are 19.56% more likely to be registered Republicans than The US average, with 66.33% being registered with the party.
The amount Gowan earn in different countries varies somewhat. In South Africa they earn 12.31% more than the national average, earning R 266,880 per year; in United States they earn 0.58% less than the national average, earning $42,897 USD per year and in Canada they earn 1.26% less than the national average, earning $49,058 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
Gowan Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gowan in the Hindi language | ||
| गोवान | govana | - |
| Gowan in the Oriya language | ||
| େଗାୱାନ | egawana | - |
| Gowan in the Marathi language | ||
| गोवन | govana | - |
Search for Another Surname
Gowan Reference & Research
McGowan FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.
McGowan FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.
The name statistics are still in development, sign up for information on more maps and data
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 Gowan
- 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