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

Gowan, 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 Gowan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gowan in America

Gowan is the 10829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gowan surname appeared 2,941 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 Gowan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gowan 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 Gowan

The surname "GOWAN" originated in Scotland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "gobhann," meaning "smith" or "metalworker." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with an occupational trade.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gouan" in this document, indicating an early spelling variation.

Throughout the centuries, the name has been recorded with various spellings, including Gowan, Gouan, Gowane, and Govan. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions in earlier times.

The name "GOWAN" has also been linked to certain place names in Scotland, such as the town of Govan, located near Glasgow. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname based on their association with these locations.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname "GOWAN" include:

1. John Gowan (1576-1633), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1623.

2. Sir Robert Gowan (1603-1658), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Scotland.

3. Thomas Gowan (1631-1704), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the colonization of South Carolina in the late 17th century.

4. John Gowan (1766-1842), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

5. James Gowan (1793-1888), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Edinburgh.

While the name "GOWAN" has been present in various historical records and manuscripts, its origins can be traced back to Scotland, where it was likely derived from an occupational term referring to metalworkers or smiths. The name has undergone various spelling variations over time and has been associated with certain Scottish place names as well.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gowan

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

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

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

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