NameCensus.

UK surname

Gowan

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "gobha" or "goba" meaning "smith" or "metalworker."

In the 1881 census there were 460 people recorded with the Gowan surname, ranking it #7,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 546, ranked #9,334, down from #7,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Dumfries. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Chorley and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gowan is 626 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.7%.

1881 census count

460

Ranked #7,211

Modern count

546

2016, ranked #9,334

Peak year

1891

626 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gowan had 460 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016, ranked #9,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 626 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gowan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gowan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gowan 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 358 #6,604
1861 historical 436 #5,907
1881 historical 460 #7,211
1891 historical 626 #6,177
1901 historical 621 #6,877
1911 historical 479 #8,088
1997 modern 524 #8,989
1998 modern 559 #8,808
1999 modern 561 #8,842
2000 modern 527 #9,264
2001 modern 499 #9,483
2002 modern 510 #9,500
2003 modern 477 #9,815
2004 modern 493 #9,605
2005 modern 510 #9,317
2006 modern 509 #9,355
2007 modern 514 #9,376
2008 modern 526 #9,271
2009 modern 539 #9,313
2010 modern 543 #9,443
2011 modern 541 #9,400
2012 modern 551 #9,153
2013 modern 552 #9,308
2014 modern 551 #9,378
2015 modern 544 #9,406
2016 modern 546 #9,334

Geography

Back to top

Where Gowans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Dumfries and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Chorley, North East Lincolnshire, Copeland and Islington. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dumfries Dumfries
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 003 Sedgemoor
2 Chorley 012 Chorley
3 North East Lincolnshire 023 North East Lincolnshire
4 Copeland 008 Copeland
5 Islington 002 Islington

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gowan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gowan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gowan, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Gowan is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gowan is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gowan falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gowan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gowan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gowan 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. Middlesex leads with 65 Gowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 65 1.46x
Midlothian 41 6.88x
Cumberland 39 10.18x
Yorkshire 26 0.59x
Lanarkshire 24 1.67x
Surrey 23 1.06x
Lancashire 22 0.42x
Warwickshire 21 1.87x
Northumberland 19 2.87x
Kent 17 1.12x
Dumfriesshire 15 15.27x
Somerset 15 2.10x
Durham 14 1.06x
Fife 12 4.56x
Kincardineshire 12 22.15x
Cheshire 10 1.02x
Ayrshire 8 2.40x
Renfrewshire 8 2.32x
Essex 6 0.68x
Norfolk 6 0.88x
Leicestershire 5 1.01x
Lincolnshire 5 0.70x
Berkshire 4 1.20x
Devon 4 0.43x
Glamorgan 4 0.52x
Cornwall 3 0.60x
Gloucestershire 3 0.34x
Herefordshire 3 1.64x
Perthshire 3 1.50x
Staffordshire 3 0.20x
Banffshire 2 2.17x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.41x
Stirlingshire 2 1.22x
Wiltshire 2 0.51x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.35x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Inverness-shire 1 0.75x
Isle of Man 1 1.21x
Royal Navy 1 1.89x
Suffolk 1 0.18x
Sussex 1 0.13x
Wigtownshire 1 1.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 16 Gowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.71x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 16 3.71x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 6.26x
Camberwell 13 4.58x
Govan 13 3.65x
Kensington London 13 5.26x
Bervie 12 373.83x
Dearham 10 198.02x
Inveresk 10 62.00x
Aston 9 2.91x
Cleator 9 56.46x
Dumfries 8 82.56x
Portbury 8 666.67x
Sandwith 8 1428.57x
Whitehaven 8 39.20x
Birmingham 7 1.87x
E W Thirston With 7 1750.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 12.21x
Liverpool 7 2.18x
Seaton Delaval 7 120.48x
St Monance 7 222.93x
Clerkenwell London 6 5.71x
Colinton 6 90.36x
Dalkeith 6 51.02x
Paddington London 6 3.67x
Scarborough 6 14.98x
Annan 5 59.24x
Barony 5 1.37x
Bermondsey 5 3.78x
Birling 5 370.37x
Chester St John Baptist 5 28.33x
Girvan 5 59.81x
Hunslet 5 7.27x
Kilbarchan 5 47.76x
Leicester St Margaret 5 4.16x
St Martin Lincoln 5 75.76x
Twickenham 5 26.22x
Walthamstow 5 15.82x
Barrow In Furness 4 5.57x
Elm 4 740.74x
Exeter St Kerrian 4 615.38x
Great Yarmouth 4 7.06x
Hulme 4 3.63x
Leamington Priors 4 14.49x
North South Anston 4 207.25x
Torryburn 4 350.88x
Wallasey 4 119.76x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 21.40x
Bray 3 30.58x
Chatham 3 7.19x
Clifton 3 6.80x
Colwall 3 132.74x
Harrington 3 64.94x
Hinderwell 3 79.79x
Kilmarnock 3 7.57x
Lanark 3 25.93x
Llantrisant 3 15.37x
Poplar London 3 3.57x
Walsall Foreign 3 3.87x
Winlaton 3 23.62x
Woolwich 3 5.35x
Beverley St Martin 2 27.17x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.76x
Blackburn 2 1.42x
Chelsea London 2 1.49x
Cullen 2 58.48x
Edmonton 2 5.58x
Glasgow 2 0.78x
Kincardine 2 97.09x
Knockholt 2 165.29x
Manchester 2 0.84x
Saltash 2 51.15x
Shadwell London 2 16.06x
Skipton 2 14.42x
Stirling 2 9.67x
Trowbridge 2 11.50x
Tudhoe 2 17.27x
Wimbledon 2 8.22x
Dysart 1 5.64x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 2.91x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Elizabeth 15
Eliza 9
Sarah 9
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Edith 6
Catherine 5
Margaret 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Ann 4
Anne 4
Charlotte 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Rose 2
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elisa 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Helen 1
Honora 1
Janet 1
Lady 1
Laura 1
Leila 1
Lillian 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
Melonia 1
Mildred 1
Presscilla 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 22
James 15
George 9
Charles 8
Edward 7
Henry 6
Thomas 6
Herbert 3
B. 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Elias 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Philip 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Alf. 1
Alfred 1
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Andw. 1
Anthony 1
Archabald 1
Archbald 1
Archibald 1
Backhouse 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Hugh 1
Hyde 1
Infant 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Robinson 1
Robt. 1
Rupert 1
S. 1
Samuell 1

FAQ

Gowan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gowan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 460 people were recorded with the Gowan surname. That placed it at #7,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gowan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016. That gives Gowan a modern rank of #9,334.

What does the Gowan surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "gobha" or "goba" meaning "smith" or "metalworker."

What does the Gowan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gowan 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.