2000
#7,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,846
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Mcgowen
A variant of McOwen, an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan (Owen)."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,220 Americans carry the last name Mcgowen. That puts it at #8,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgowen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcgowen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,221
Census rank
#8,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,680 bearers of the surname Mcgowen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgowen
The surname McGowen originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant of the Scottish surname McGown, which is derived from the Gaelic name "Maol Chomhghaill," meaning "servant of St. Comgall." St. Comgall was an Irish saint and founder of the famous monastery of Bangor in County Down, Ireland, in the 6th century.
McGowen is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding a prefix such as "Mac" (Gaelic for "son of") to a personal name or an occupation. The name likely originated in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, where Gaelic was widely spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGowen name can be found in the Privy Council Register of Scotland in 1592, which mentions a certain "Johnne M'Gowin." Another early record is from the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1597, which refers to "Johnne M'Gowne."
In the 17th century, the name McGowen appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Dunfermline Register of Baptisms in 1648, which lists the baptism of "Margaret McGowen." The name was also found in the Parish Register of Maybole, Ayrshire, in 1685, which records the marriage of "John McGowen and Euphan Hamiltoun."
One notable individual with the surname McGowen was William McGowen (1927-2012), an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the CEO of MCI Communications Corporation from 1968 to 1992. He was instrumental in transforming MCI from a small company into a telecommunications giant.
Another noteworthy figure was John McGowen (1818-1898), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1865 to 1867.
In the literary world, John P. McGowen (1902-1982) was an American author and historian known for his works on the American West, including "Sidesaddle and Goldenrod: A Glimpse of the Panama and the Pacific Coast in the Early Sixties" and "Life Woven with Song."
The McGowen name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McGowansland, a small village in South Ayrshire, and McGowans Farm, a former estate in Renfrewshire.
While the surname McGowen is not as common as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgowen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgowen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcgowen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 2,719
- Black or African American17.4% · 640
- Two or more races4.0% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgowen
Mcgowen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,825
-21 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 627 places
2020
#8,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,680
-145 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,979 | 3,846 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,606 | 3,825 | 1.30 | -21 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 627 places |
| 2020 | #8,580 | 3,680 | 1.23 | -145 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 26 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcgowen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,606 | #8,580 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,825 | 3,680 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.23 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgowen bearers went from 3,825 to 3,680 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,606 to #8,580.
FAQ
Mcgowen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgowen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,220 living Americans carry the surname Mcgowen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,221 residents.
How common is Mcgowen?
Mcgowen ranks #8,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,680 people with the surname Mcgowen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,220), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcgowen.
Has Mcgowen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgowen went from 3,825 recorded bearers to 3,680. That is a decrease of 145 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,606 to #8,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgowen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcgowen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (2,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgowen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Black (17.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcgowen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcgowen mean?
A variant of McOwen, an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan (Owen)." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcgowen (1.23 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Mcgowen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.