Explore the Family Name Gowan
The meaning of Gowan
Scottish and Irish (Laois and Dublin): from Scottish Gaelic Ó Gobhann, Mac Gobhann, Irish Mac Gabhann ‘descendant (or son) of the smith’ (from gobha ‘smith’). In Ireland (in the south, especially), this name has often been translated into English as Smith. Compare McGowan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gowan in the United States?
The surname Gowan, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, dropped in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 10,018th most common surname and this rank decreased to 10,829th by 2010, indicating an 8.1% decrease in its ranking. The actual count of individuals with the Gowan surname also marginally declined from 2,968 in 2000 to 2,941 in 2010, marking a slight decrease of 0.91%. Proportionally, for every 100,000 people, the number of individuals with the Gowan surname fell from 1.1 in 2000 to 1.0 in 2010, a drop of 9.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,018 | #10,829 | -8.1% |
| Count | 2,968 | 2,941 | -0.91% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.1 | 1 | -9.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gowan
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Gowan surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that it is predominantly seen within the white community. However, there was a slight decrease among this group from 91.64% in 2000 to 90.68% in 2010. Comparatively, there were increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander group (from 0.51% to 0.68%), those identifying with two or more races (from 1.31% to 1.53%), Hispanic ethnicity (from 1.95% to 2.35%), and the Black community (from 3.84% to 4.11%). Conversely, there was a decline in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, falling from 0.74% in 2000 to 0.65% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.64% | 90.68% | -1.05% |
| Black | 3.84% | 4.11% | 7.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.95% | 2.35% | 20.51% |
| Two or More Races | 1.31% | 1.53% | 16.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.68% | 33.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.74% | 0.65% | -12.16% |