NameCensus.

UK surname

Gowens

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly relating to Gow in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Gowens surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 84, ranked #32,726, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Felton, Lesbury and St George in the East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, South Tyneside and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gowens is 117 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 28.2%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

84

2016, ranked #32,726

Peak year

1881

117 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 1911

Key insights

  • Gowens had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016, ranked #32,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Gowens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gowens surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gowens 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 93 #31,239
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 89 #32,248
2014 modern 88 #32,495
2015 modern 90 #32,245
2016 modern 84 #32,726

Geography

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Where Gowens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Felton, Lesbury, St George in the East, Gateshead and Newcastle All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, South Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne and Blackpool. 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 Felton Northumberland
2 Lesbury Northumberland
3 St George in the East London (East Districts)
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 030 Northumberland
3 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 028 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Blackpool 005 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gowens

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gowens

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Gowens surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gowens 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gowens is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gowens is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gowens falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gowens 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 Gowens, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gowens

The surname Gowens originated in Scotland, specifically in the Lowlands region, during the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "gobhainn," which means "smith" or "blacksmith." This suggests that the name was likely first used to identify someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker.

Gowens is a variant spelling of the more common Scottish surname Gow or Gowe, which has similar origins. The name was often spelled differently in early records, with variations such as Gowan, Gowand, and Gowane also appearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gowens can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In this record, the name appears as "Gowene."

The Gowens surname is closely associated with the town of Gourock in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is believed that the name may have originated from this location, which was once known as "Goueranys" or "Govane." In the 16th century, a family of Gowens is recorded as owning land in the area.

One notable historical figure bearing the Gowens surname was Robert Gowens (c. 1542-1615), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1602. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding the introduction of Episcopacy in the Scottish church.

Another individual of note was William Gowens (1777-1855), a Scottish-born merchant and politician who emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, in the early 19th century. He served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and was involved in the development of the town of Pictou.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the Gowens surname was Thomas Gowens, who arrived in Virginia in 1634. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the country, including North Carolina and Tennessee.

John Gowens (1766-1846), a Scottish-born American Presbyterian minister and educator, was an influential figure in the early 19th century. He served as the president of the University of North Carolina from 1835 to 1840.

Finally, James Gowens (1824-1889) was a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio between 1877 and 1883.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gowens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gowens 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. Northumberland leads with 53 Gowens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.22x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 53 31.22x
Durham 26 7.66x
Middlesex 24 2.10x
Lanarkshire 6 1.63x
Yorkshire 6 0.53x
Fife 1 1.48x
Stirlingshire 1 2.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 24 Gowens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 223.67x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 24 223.67x
Felton 10 3703.70x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 61.22x
Alnmouth 6 2857.14x
Ford 6 588.24x
Govan 6 6.57x
Westgate 6 57.09x
Amble 5 649.35x
Gateshead 5 19.67x
Newburn Hall 5 1562.50x
Ormesby 5 164.47x
Bedlington 4 70.55x
Kirkley 4 5714.29x
Westoe 4 20.79x
Byker 3 35.76x
Togstone 3 3333.33x
Ulgham 3 1071.43x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 22.73x
Ryton 2 168.07x
Falkirk 1 10.15x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 13.74x
Hollinghill 1 3333.33x
Markinch 1 43.67x
Wooler 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
J. 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Maryann 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gowens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gowens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Gowens surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gowens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016. That gives Gowens a modern rank of #32,726.

What does the Gowens surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly relating to Gow in Scotland.

What does the Gowens map show?

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