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

Cowen, 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 Cowen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cowen in America

Cowen is the 6755th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cowen surname appeared 4,990 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cowen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cowen 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 Cowen

The surname Cowen has its roots in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "cu" or "cou," meaning cow, and "wen" or "winn," meaning meadow or pasture. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who resided near or worked on a cow pasture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from the year 1197, where a person named Hugh Couen is mentioned. Another early reference appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1207, which mentions a William Couen.

The Cowen surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Cowan Bridge in Lancashire and Cowden in Kent. These place names likely share a similar etymology, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its association with cattle or pastures.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Cowen surname. One such person was Robert Cowen (c. 1650-1723), an English clergyman and author who wrote works on theology and philosophy. Another was James Cowen (1775-1860), a British mining engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the safety lamp used in coal mines.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Cowen surname dates back to the 17th century. John Cowen (1611-1695) was an early settler in Virginia and a prominent Quaker preacher. Other notable American figures with the Cowen surname include Esther Cowen (1857-1964), an American artist and educator, and Zelman Cowen (1919-2011), an Australian legal scholar and academic who served as the Governor-General of Australia from 1977 to 1982.

Overall, the surname Cowen has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins firmly rooted in the Anglo-Saxon traditions of England and its close association with cattle and pastures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cowen

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

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

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

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