Cowan is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, Scotland. It is 5 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Cowan
No. of characters: 5
Origin: Ireland, Scotland
Meaning:

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

Dweller at a hollow; worker in metal, a smith; a corruption of Colquhoun; grandson of Comhghan meaning "a twin".

The worker in metals, a smith; one who came from Govan, in Lanarkshire.

How popular is Cowan?

Cowan is common in United States, England, Canada, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Jamaica, South Africa, Ireland, Wales, French Polynesia, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba.

Cowan is ranked 6957 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Cowan bearers increased by 1.07 per cent in 2010 US census to 32586 since 2000, the surname slipped by 89 spots and ranked at 1074. The last name was found in around 1 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 79.49 81.67
Black 15.13 14.38
Hispanic or Latino 2.33 1.55
Others 2 1.39
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56 0.58
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.49 0.42
Cowan is quite popular family name mostly used in United States while Cook Islands is ahead in terms of density. Around 81470 people have been found who wears Cowan as their family name. Cowan is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Cowan:
944 United States45,503
Countries with thousands of Cowan:
959 England8,410
624 Canada8,269
621 Australia6,268
144 Scotland5,740
421 New Zealand1,578
307 Northern Ireland1,264
381 Jamaica1,185
Countries with hundreds of Cowan:
7,917 South Africa861
1,793 Ireland292
1,500 Wales226
181 French Polynesia221
64,954 Thailand191
1,333 Trinidad and Tobago143
2,928 Cuba121
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
26,152 Netherlands92
46,871 Argentina63
4,171 Singapore56
34,484 Spain54
115,801 Philippines54
132,002 France51
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
105,602 Nigeria49
6,204 Namibia47
3,336 Paraguay43
111,952 Germany39
142,916 Brazil37
228 Cayman Islands36
17,423 United Arab Emirates36
4,409 Panama31
3,329 Cyprus29
346,896 India29
103 Cook Islands27
24,844 Switzerland26
27,867 Sweden25
29,601 Mexico24
50,656 Zimbabwe22
61,770 Malaysia20
2,896 Costa Rica19
14,725 Qatar19
23,714 Denmark17
516 Sierra Leone16
1,243 Isle of Man15
66,436 Belgium14
35,657 Norway13
16,511 Colombia12
16,904 Ecuador12
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
1,005 Bermuda10
7,200 China10
80,937 Czechia10
45,945 Japan10
2,003 Jersey10
21,753 Liberia10
20,155 Taiwan7
991 Gibraltar6
5,222 Hong Kong6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Workman Samuel Cowan from Ireland aboard the Robert Parks from Liverpool during the Irish famine. He is registered to be 28 years old when he arrived in USA on May 25, 1846. Elizabeth Cowan, aged 38, Martha Cowan (20) Clerk, James Cowan (40) Slater, 21 years old Pat. Cowan, William Cowan (31) Bleacher, 21 years old Cornelius Cowan, James Cowan, James Cowan, aged 22, and 150 other Cowan around 51.69% of whom were workman while others worked as clerk and bootmaker, servant, spinster, shoemaker, farmer migrated to US from Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast.

Cowan Namesakes

  • Bill Cowan, retired USMC lieutenant colonel
  • Bernard Cowan, Canadian actor, announcer, voice actor
  • Jay Cowan, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Donald James Cowan, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • Douglas E. Cowan, Canadian academic
  • George Cowan, American physical chemist
  • Ernest Cowan, Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
  • Henry Cowan, politician in the United Kingdom
  • Edmund Cowan, Sierra Leonean politician
  • Tam Cowan, Scottish football journalist and radio presenter
  • Ashley Cowan, English cricketer between 1995 and 2005
  • Mike Cowan, professional golf caddie on the PGA Tour
  • Ken Cowan, Canadian organist
  • Dugald Cowan, Scottish educationalist and Liberal politician
  • Louise Cowan, Texas-born critic and teacher
  • J Milton Cowan, American linguist
  • Clyde Cowan, American physicist
  • Edith Cowan, Australian social reformer
  • Ed Cowan, former Australian cricketer
  • Jim Cowan, Canadian lawyer
  • Jerome Cowan, American stage, film, and television actor
  • Walter Cowan, British Royal Navy admiral
  • Jeff Cowan, Canadian former professional ice hockey player
  • Bruce Cowan, Australian politician and Minister of the Crown
  • Edgar Cowan, American lawyer and Republican politician
  • Jimmy Cowan, New Zealand rugby union footballer
  • Glenn Cowan, American table tennis player
  • Joe Cowan, Canadian former-born American college football wide receiver for the UCLA Bruins
  • John Cowan, American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player
  • Sam Cowan, English football player and manager
  • Brenda Cowan, Lexington
  • Denys Cowan, American comics artist
  • Charles Cowan, Scottish politician and paper-maker
  • Andrew Cowan, Scottish former rally driver
  • Tom Cowan, Scottish former footballer
  • Robin Cowan, Canadian former pair skater
  • Claudia Cowan, news reporter for the Fox News Channel
  • Patrick Cowan, former American football quarterback
  • Charley Cowan, American football offensive tackle
  • Warren Cowan, prominent American film industry publicist
  • Jazwyn Cowan, American professional basketball player
  • Gary Cowan, Canadian golfer
  • Rory Cowan, Irish actor and entertainer best
  • George Henry Cowan, Canadian lawyer and Conservative politician
  • Jacob Pitzer Cowan, U.S. Representative from Ohio
  • Hector Cowan, American football player and coach
  • Billy Cowan, retired American professional baseball player
  • Jack Cowan, Canadian association football player
  • Juliet Cowan, British television, film and stage actress

Cowan Namesakes

  • Bill Cowan, retired USMC lieutenant colonel
  • Bernard Cowan, Canadian actor, announcer, voice actor
  • Jay Cowan, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Donald James Cowan, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • Douglas E. Cowan, Canadian academic
  • George Cowan, American physical chemist
  • Ernest Cowan, Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
  • Henry Cowan, politician in the United Kingdom
  • Edmund Cowan, Sierra Leonean politician
  • Tam Cowan, Scottish football journalist and radio presenter
  • Ashley Cowan, English cricketer between 1995 and 2005
  • Mike Cowan, professional golf caddie on the PGA Tour
  • Ken Cowan, Canadian organist
  • Dugald Cowan, Scottish educationalist and Liberal politician
  • Louise Cowan, Texas-born critic and teacher
  • J Milton Cowan, American linguist
  • Clyde Cowan, American physicist
  • Edith Cowan, Australian social reformer
  • Ed Cowan, former Australian cricketer
  • Jim Cowan, Canadian lawyer
  • Jerome Cowan, American stage, film, and television actor
  • Walter Cowan, British Royal Navy admiral
  • Jeff Cowan, Canadian former professional ice hockey player
  • Bruce Cowan, Australian politician and Minister of the Crown
  • Edgar Cowan, American lawyer and Republican politician
  • Jimmy Cowan, New Zealand rugby union footballer
  • Glenn Cowan, American table tennis player
  • Joe Cowan, Canadian former-born American college football wide receiver for the UCLA Bruins
  • John Cowan, American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player
  • Sam Cowan, English football player and manager
  • Brenda Cowan, Lexington
  • Denys Cowan, American comics artist
  • Charles Cowan, Scottish politician and paper-maker
  • Andrew Cowan, Scottish former rally driver
  • Tom Cowan, Scottish former footballer
  • Robin Cowan, Canadian former pair skater
  • Claudia Cowan, news reporter for the Fox News Channel
  • Patrick Cowan, former American football quarterback
  • Charley Cowan, American football offensive tackle
  • Warren Cowan, prominent American film industry publicist
  • Jazwyn Cowan, American professional basketball player
  • Gary Cowan, Canadian golfer
  • Rory Cowan, Irish actor and entertainer best
  • George Henry Cowan, Canadian lawyer and Conservative politician
  • Jacob Pitzer Cowan, U.S. Representative from Ohio
  • Hector Cowan, American football player and coach
  • Billy Cowan, retired American professional baseball player
  • Jack Cowan, Canadian association football player
  • Juliet Cowan, British television, film and stage actress

Related Family Names: