McGowan
Sign in to save175px|thumb|Gaelic Ireland and the over-kingdom of Ulaid circa 900 A.D. McGowan is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is an anglicisation of the Irish Mac Gabhann and Scottish Mac Gobhann, both of which mean 'son of (the) smith'. Belonging to the Uí Echach Cobo, located in modern-day western County Down in Ulster, they were of the same stock as the McGuinness clan.
~10 min read
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Meaning
- Scottish origins
- Irish origins
- Notable people
- Other uses
- See also
- References
175px|thumb|Gaelic Ireland and the over-kingdom of Ulaid circa 900 A.D. McGowan is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is an anglicisation of the Irish Mac Gabhann and Scottish Mac Gobhann, both of which mean 'son of (the) smith'. Belonging to the Uí Echach Cobo, located in modern-day western County Down in Ulster, they were of the same stock as the McGuinness clan.
==Meaning== As noted further in the source by John O'Hart, though not an occupational surname, MacGowan evolves as an Anglicisation of the original Irish language personal description or nickname , meaning 'blacksmith'. For this reason, the surnames of some septs of the MacGowan are alternately anglicised to Smythe or Smith. The surname MacGowan, therefore, translates from Irish to English as 'son of (the) smith'.