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

Cowans, 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 Cowans surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cowans in America

Cowans is the 15898th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cowans surname appeared 1,829 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cowans.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cowans 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 Cowans

The surname COWANS originates from Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "cuan," meaning "ocean" or "sea inlet," indicating that the family's ancestors may have resided near the Scottish coast or a sea loch.

The name is also closely associated with the Clan Cowan, a Scottish clan with roots in Argyllshire and the Hebrides islands. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, the name COWANS appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. John Cowan, born around 1420, was a prominent figure who served as the King's Chamberlain and Keeper of the Royal Wardrobe.

The surname COWANS has also been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. Sir John Cowan (1775-1840) was a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Robert Cowan (1796-1841), born in Ayrshire, was a renowned Scottish explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the fur trade in North America.

Another notable COWANS was William Cowan (1802-1865), a Scottish-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Ohio, including the Ohio State Capitol in Columbus. His son, Benjamin Cowan (1841-1884), followed in his footsteps and became a successful architect in Ohio.

In the literary realm, Joseph Henderson Cowan (1855-1934), born in Scotland, was a renowned journalist and author who wrote extensively about Scottish culture and history.

While the COWANS surname is primarily associated with Scotland, it has also been found in other regions, such as Ireland and England, likely due to migration patterns. However, the roots of the name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and the coastal regions of western Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cowans

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

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 Cowans 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 Cowans 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 Cowans was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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