Explore the Family Name Cowden
The meaning of Cowden
1. Scottish: habitational name from Cowden in Dalkeith (Midlothian), and any of several other places in Scotland called Cowden. 2. English: habitational name from one or more of the places so named, such as Cowden in Mayfield, Cowden in Wartling, and Cowden Hall in Heathfield (all in Sussex), Cowden (Kent, Northumberland, and Yorkshire), and Green Cowden in Bakewell (Derbyshire). The surname is more or less restricted to northern England, and is also found in northern Ireland, where it may be of Scottish origin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cowden in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cowden saw a slight decrease in rank from 7736 in 2000 to 8055 in 2010, which represents a change of -4.12%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased marginally from 3960 to 4111 during the same period, showing a growth rate of 3.81%. The proportion per 100k people also declined by -5.44% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,736 | #8,055 | -4.12% |
| Count | 3,960 | 4,111 | 3.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.47 | 1.39 | -5.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cowden
Moving onto the data on ethnic identity from the Decennial U.S. Census, the largest percentage of individuals with the Cowden surname are reported as being White, making up 93.60% in 2010, down slightly from 94.57% in 2000. Surprisingly, the ethnicity indicating the largest growth in the Cowden surname was Asian/Pacific Islander, rising by 57.50% from 2000 to 2010. Notably, there were increases in individuals identifying as Two or more races and Hispanic, which rose by 51.26% and 48.65% respectively. Conversely, the proportions of individuals identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native fell by 16.43% and 12.12% respectively over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.57% | 93.6% | -1.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.19% | 1.8% | 51.26% |
| Black | 2.07% | 1.73% | -16.43% |
| Hispanic | 1.11% | 1.65% | 48.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.63% | 57.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.58% | -12.12% |
Cowden ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cowden is British & Irish, which comprises 56.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.1%) and Scandinavian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Filipino & Austronesian, and Korean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.1% |
| French & German | 26.1% |
| Scandinavian | 4.7% |
| Other | 13.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Cowden
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cowden have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 94.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 94.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 94.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 94.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 94.10% |
What Cowden haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cowden is I-L1498, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L1498 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z8 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Keane, Morrissey, Hale, Feeney, Lacy, Handley, Haws, Hanley, Markham, Sammons.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cowden surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cowden have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cowden" Surname 32.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cowden" Surname 32.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cowden" Surname 27.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cowden" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cowden?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cowden are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition