NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowen

A Celtic surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEoghain," meaning "descendant of Eoghan" (a personal name meaning "born of the yew tree").

In the 1881 census there were 1,621 people recorded with the Cowen surname, ranking it #2,634 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,248, ranked #2,890, down from #2,634 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Bassetlaw.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowen is 2,535 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.7%.

1881 census count

1,621

Ranked #2,634

Modern count

2,248

2016, ranked #2,890

Peak year

1999

2,535 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowen had 1,621 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,634 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,248 in 2016, ranked #2,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,390 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cowen surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cowen surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cowen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowen over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,062 #2,636
1861 historical 923 #3,005
1881 historical 1,621 #2,634
1891 historical 1,690 #2,670
1901 historical 1,955 #2,707
1911 historical 2,390 #2,146
1997 modern 2,393 #2,617
1998 modern 2,508 #2,609
1999 modern 2,535 #2,597
2000 modern 2,487 #2,628
2001 modern 2,412 #2,646
2002 modern 2,493 #2,624
2003 modern 2,347 #2,706
2004 modern 2,348 #2,708
2005 modern 2,270 #2,751
2006 modern 2,301 #2,720
2007 modern 2,280 #2,765
2008 modern 2,278 #2,786
2009 modern 2,331 #2,801
2010 modern 2,383 #2,805
2011 modern 2,371 #2,788
2012 modern 2,300 #2,809
2013 modern 2,346 #2,804
2014 modern 2,355 #2,811
2015 modern 2,281 #2,857
2016 modern 2,248 #2,890

Geography

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Where Cowens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Bassetlaw. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 023 Northumberland
2 Bassetlaw 001 Bassetlaw
3 Northumberland 024 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 022 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowen

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cowen surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cowen, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Cowen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cowen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cowen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cowen is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowen falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cowen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cowen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cowen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowen surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 293 Cowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.54x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 293 1.54x
Yorkshire 270 1.70x
Durham 218 4.57x
Cumberland 202 14.64x
Northumberland 109 4.57x
Middlesex 97 0.61x
Warwickshire 42 1.04x
Staffordshire 41 0.76x
Surrey 37 0.47x
Kent 32 0.59x
Lanarkshire 31 0.60x
Cheshire 26 0.73x
Derbyshire 22 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.97x
Hampshire 20 0.61x
Norfolk 19 0.77x
Isle of Man 18 6.05x
Essex 15 0.47x
Somerset 12 0.47x
Sussex 12 0.44x
Midlothian 9 0.42x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 3.45x
West Lothian 8 3.31x
Northamptonshire 7 0.46x
Worcestershire 7 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.59x
Channel Islands 6 1.26x
Ayrshire 5 0.42x
Westmorland 5 1.42x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.62x
Denbighshire 4 0.66x
Devon 4 0.12x
Renfrewshire 4 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.85x
Lincolnshire 3 0.12x
Anglesey 2 0.70x
Angus 2 0.13x
Buteshire 2 2.06x
Glamorgan 2 0.07x
Hertfordshire 2 0.18x
Shropshire 2 0.14x
Suffolk 2 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.31x
Caithness 1 0.46x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.15x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 47 Cowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.24x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 47 5.24x
Manchester 40 4.68x
Gateshead 37 10.36x
Birmingham 30 2.23x
Ecclesall Bierlow 30 9.29x
Liverpool 28 2.42x
Sheffield 25 4.94x
Islington London 23 1.48x
Nether Hallam 22 10.24x
Caldewgate 21 27.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 20 6.62x
Kirkdale 19 5.94x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 17 8.23x
Burslem 16 10.32x
Toxteth Park 16 2.48x
Wallsend 16 21.16x
Longbenton 14 13.86x
Low Holme 14 179.95x
Portsea 14 2.17x
Everton 13 2.14x
Hensingham 13 115.35x
Hexham 13 35.22x
Low Bolton 13 370.37x
Nottingham St Mary 13 2.33x
Snodland 13 83.87x
Castleton 12 6.32x
Chester Le Street 12 32.78x
Paddington London 12 2.04x
Stockton On Tees 12 5.22x
Bothwell 11 7.83x
Brotton 11 53.06x
Guisbrough 11 31.69x
Meltham 11 44.53x
Oulton 11 539.22x
Westgate 11 7.45x
Aspatria 10 75.36x
Barrow In Furness 10 3.87x
Elswick 10 5.25x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 10 13.52x
Kirkbampton 10 434.78x
Little Bolton 10 4.09x
Salford 10 1.79x
St Cuthbert W O 10 14.87x
Whickham 10 22.79x
Whorlton 10 266.67x
Workington 10 12.66x
Aston 9 0.81x
Burnley 9 5.62x
Dalziel 9 16.14x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 9.43x
Heeley 9 18.65x
Ilkley 9 34.67x
Newington 9 1.52x
Onchan 9 10.50x
Tarretburn 9 1153.85x
West Ham 9 1.29x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 8 298.51x
Colvend 8 113.64x
Greenwich 8 3.14x
Haswell 8 23.41x
High Littleton 8 188.24x
Newcastle Under Lyme 8 8.36x
Preston 8 1.57x
Tottenham 8 3.13x
West Derby 8 1.44x
West Herrington 8 47.88x
Westoe 8 2.96x
Whitburn 8 22.94x
Wigan 8 3.01x
Wolverhampton 8 1.92x
Ardwick 7 4.08x
Barnsley 7 4.27x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.01x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 4.63x
Dalston 7 65.60x
Newton 7 4.78x
Sculcoates 7 2.78x
Tanfield 7 12.35x
West Rainton 7 47.43x
Winlaton 7 15.30x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cowen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 131
Elizabeth 71
Sarah 52
Jane 51
Margaret 49
Ellen 20
Annie 19
Ann 18
Isabella 18
Eliza 17
Alice 15
Emma 14
Emily 13
Louisa 13
Ada 11
Hannah 11
Charlotte 10
Agnes 8
Anne 8
Harriet 8
Kate 8
Martha 8
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Florence 7
Maria 7
Bridget 6
Frances 6
Amy 5
Caroline 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Janet 5
Jessie 5
Margt. 5
Rebecca 5
Beatrice 4
Esther 4
Lucy 4
Minnie 4
Rachel 4
Clara 3
Deborah 3
Dorothy 3
Gertrude 3
Henrietta 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Katherine 2
Lily 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cowen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 146
William 84
Thomas 68
James 57
George 48
Joseph 43
Robert 35
Edward 19
Henry 18
Charles 15
David 11
Albert 10
Thos. 9
Alfred 8
Samuel 8
Arthur 7
Frederick 7
Mark 7
Wm. 7
Alexander 6
Patrick 6
Walter 6
Adam 4
Geo. 4
Harry 4
Peter 4
Robt. 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Lewis 3
Michael 3
Morris 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Ezekiel 2
Frank 2
Harris 2
Isaac 2
Jesse 2
Leonard 2
Matthew 2
Owen 2
Ralph 2
Sydney 2
Willm. 2
Wolfe 2
Enoch 1

FAQ

Cowen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,621 people were recorded with the Cowen surname. That placed it at #2,634 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,248 in 2016. That gives Cowen a modern rank of #2,890.

What does the Cowen surname mean?

A Celtic surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEoghain," meaning "descendant of Eoghan" (a personal name meaning "born of the yew tree").

What does the Cowen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cowen bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.