Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.
COWAN
There are approximately 16,949 people named Cowan in the UK. That makes it the 592nd most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 268 are named Cowan.
Region of origin
British Isles
Country of origin
Scotland
Language of origin
Gaelic
Religion of origin
Christian
Classification
Celtic
From given name or forename
Related and similar surnames
CowansCowen
Coan
Cone
Cohn
Cohen
Cowane
Cowann
Cowain
Cowana
Cowani
Cowaine
Couan
Cooan
Coean
Cowanm
Cowany
Cowanes
Cowanna
Couane
Cowaney
Cowanay
Cowains
Couanne
Couans
Cowant
The Cowan surname in historical dictionaries
An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857)
(origin: Gaelic.) Gobhainn, a smith; Gowan, a Scottish word for a wild flower.
Patronymica Britannica (1860)
COWAN. Probably a corruption of Colban, an ancient Celtic name, since Colbanstoun in the S. of Scotl. was corrupted to Cowanstoun.
Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.