Find out how popular the last name Cowan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cowan.

Cowan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cowan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cowan in America

Cowan is the 1074th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cowan surname appeared 32,586 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Cowan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cowan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cowan

The surname Cowan is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "cú" meaning "hound" and the word "bhadhain" meaning "little" or "son of". Hence, Cowan could mean "son of the little hound" or "little hound".

The name was initially found in the regions of Argyll and Ayrshire in Scotland, where it is believed to have originated. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of parchment rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Cowan was John Cowan, who was a Scottish landowner and laird of the Cowan lands in Ayrshire in the late 13th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Robert Cowan, a Scottish warrior who fought alongside Sir William Wallace in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

The Cowan surname also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name may have had English origins as well, although it is primarily associated with Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Cowans were a prominent family in the Scottish Borders region, with several members holding important positions in the local government and military. One notable individual from this era was William Cowan, who was a Scottish soldier and diplomat during the reign of King James VI of Scotland (later King James I of England).

Another famous bearer of the Cowan surname was Robert Cowan, a Scottish philosopher and mathematician who lived from 1774 to 1860. He made significant contributions to the field of logic and was one of the founders of the Edinburgh Philosophical Society.

Overall, the surname Cowan has a rich history dating back to medieval times, with roots firmly planted in Scotland and connections to notable figures in Scottish history, literature, and philosophy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cowan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cowan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cowan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cowan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cowan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cowan, please contact us.

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