NameCensus.

UK surname

Macgowan

A Scottish surname meaning son of a smith or metalworker.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Macgowan surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 301, ranked #14,696, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Clifton and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford, Clermiston and Drumbrae and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macgowan is 352 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 301.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

301

2016, ranked #14,696

Peak year

1997

352 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macgowan had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016, ranked #14,696.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Macgowan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macgowan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macgowan 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 65 #28,660
1901 historical 119 #20,624
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 352 #12,117
1998 modern 350 #12,537
1999 modern 305 #13,808
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 289 #14,069
2002 modern 295 #14,146
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 291 #14,138
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 303 #13,834
2007 modern 298 #14,103
2008 modern 301 #14,107
2009 modern 303 #14,315
2010 modern 304 #14,591
2011 modern 293 #14,834
2012 modern 277 #15,375
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 296 #14,982
2015 modern 296 #14,893
2016 modern 301 #14,696

Geography

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Where Macgowans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Clifton, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Kilmadock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford, Clermiston and Drumbrae, Chorley, Winchester and Thanet. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Clifton Gloucestershire
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmadock Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 008 Uttlesford
2 Clermiston and Drumbrae City of Edinburgh
3 Chorley 014 Chorley
4 Winchester 012 Winchester
5 Thanet 008 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macgowan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macgowan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Macgowan, 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 Macgowan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macgowan 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Macgowan 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

Macgowan 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

Macgowan falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Macgowan

The surname MACGOWAN is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gugan" meaning "little". It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the Highlands of Scotland.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "Makgouan" in the 1296 Ragman Rolls (Rolls of Homage to Edward I of England). This document contains the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to the English king during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

During the 16th century, variations of the name such as "McGowne", "McGowand", and "McGowan" can be found in various Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Macgowan, a Scottish clergyman born in the late 16th century who served as the Minister of Cluny in Aberdeenshire.

In the 17th century, the MACGOWAN name appears to have spread to Ulster, Northern Ireland, where many Scottish Presbyterians had settled. Records from this period show spellings like "McGowan" and "McGouan".

A prominent figure with this surname was William McGouan (1601-1670), a Scottish minister and author who wrote a commentary on the Book of Revelation.

In the 18th century, the surname can be found in various parts of Scotland and Ireland. For example, Robert McGoun (1753-1835) was a Scottish philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Glasgow.

As the MACGOWAN surname spread throughout the English-speaking world during the 19th century, it encountered various anglicized spellings such as "McGowan" and "Magowan". One notable bearer of the name from this period was Samuel McGowan (1822-1897), an American politician and Confederate general during the American Civil War.

Another notable MACGOWAN was Sir Henry McGowan (1817-1899), a British railway engineer and contractor who was involved in the construction of several major railway lines in India and other parts of the British Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macgowan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macgowan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 15 Macgowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.34x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 15 8.34x
Gloucestershire 10 9.17x
Middlesex 7 1.26x
Dunbartonshire 4 26.77x
Midlothian 4 5.37x
Renfrewshire 4 9.29x
Kent 3 1.58x
Yorkshire 3 0.54x
Lancashire 2 0.30x
Suffolk 2 2.95x
Berkshire 1 2.40x
Inverness-shire 1 6.02x
Stirlingshire 1 4.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clifton in Gloucestershire leads with 9 Macgowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 163.34x.

Place Total Index
Clifton 9 163.34x
New Monkland 8 150.66x
Barony 6 13.19x
Old Kilpatrick 4 225.99x
Abbey 3 45.66x
Leeds 3 9.64x
Liberton 3 260.87x
Westminster St 3 146.34x
Ipswich St Nicholas 2 540.54x
Ash Next Sandwich 1 238.10x
Beswick 1 59.17x
Bitton Oldland 1 90.09x
Bray 1 81.30x
East Greenock 1 24.57x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 68.97x
Falkirk 1 20.83x
Glasgow 1 3.13x
Kirkdale 1 9.01x
Laggan 1 555.56x
Lee 1 36.36x
Paddington London 1 4.89x
St George Hanover 1 13.77x
St Mary Somerset 1 0.00x
Wapping London 1 238.10x
Woolwich 1 14.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
A.E.J. 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
E.Y. 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
J.H. 1
Mary 1
Wilkeson 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
William 2
A.T. 1
Arthur 1
David 1
G.L. 1
J.M. 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
R.S. 1
Robert 1
T.N. 1
W.S. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Macgowan households.

FAQ

Macgowan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macgowan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Macgowan surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macgowan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016. That gives Macgowan a modern rank of #14,696.

What does the Macgowan surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning son of a smith or metalworker.

What does the Macgowan map show?

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