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Gaelic Ireland and the over-kingdom of Ulaid circa 900 A.D.

McGowan /məˈɡaʊən/ is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is an Anglicization of the Irish Mac Gabhann and Scottish Mac Gobhann, both of which mean 'son of (the) smith'.^[1] Belonging to the Uí Echach Cobo, located in modern-day western County Down, Ulster, they were of the same stock as the McGuinness clan.^[2]

Meaning

As noted further in the source by John O'Hart, though not an occupational surname, MacGowan evolves as an Anglicisation of the original Gaelic language personal description or nickname gobha, 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 Gaelic language to English language as "son of (the) smith".

Scottish origins

In Scotland, Mac an Ghobhain was anglicized to MacGowan. Mac Gobha, later McGow, was also made MacGowan. As the maker of arms and armour, the smith was an important hereditary position in each clan and there were MacGowans, or MacGouns, found throughout the Highlands. The two most important septs, however, were the MacGowans of Clan Donald (only to be found in Antrim and South Uist) and those of Clan MacPherson.^{[citation needed]}

There was also an Irish-Scot Clan MacGowan recorded in fourteenth-century Nithsdale in Dumfriesshire. The Irish origins of this clan suggest that the Scottish Clan MacGowan may descend from the same eponymous ancestor as those in Ireland who bear the name, with the Scottish branch of the clan having fled to Scotland during the Norman occupation of Ireland. Separately, in Stirlingshire there was an old family of MacGowans of uncertain origin.^{[citation needed]}

Irish origins

In Ireland the name MacGowan refers to an eponymous ancestor, Aengus an Gobhain ("Angus the Smith") or Áengus Goibnenn mac Fergus Gallen mheic Tibraide Tirech, who was a High King of Ulster and the son of Fergus Galeng, son of Tipraiti Tireach.

The MacGowans were formerly chiefs in Dalariada, a principality in eastern Ulidia. However, they were driven to Donegal, Cavan, and Sligo in the 12th century due to English invasions in eastern Ireland. The MacGowans who settled in Sligo had their home at Castlegowan in Sligo, and thereafter a great number of them moved to Rossinver Parish in Leitrim. The name McGowan is now very popular in County Sligo and County Leitrim. The name McGowan is particularly common in the parish of Manorhamilton in Leitrim.

This family gave birth to many eminent ecclesiastics and literary men, and among the latter class may be mentioned Tadg Mac-an-Gowan, chief historiographer to the O'Connors towards the close of the 14th century; Felan M'an- Gowan by whom, assisted by the O'Dugans of East Galway, was compiled the Book of the O'Kellys, commonly called the Book of Hy-Many; and the no less distinguished ecclesiastical writer, Angus Ceile De M'anGowan, author of Lives of the Irish Saints and other tracts, who lived in the third quarter of the 8th century, and of whom the following pedigree is preserved.

As for the MacGowans who remained in the northeast of Ireland (in Antrim specifically), this family would later be associated with the MacDonnell Chieftains, who were a branch of the Scottish Clan Donald.

Notable people

Alistair McGowan (born 1964), British impressionist
Andrew McGowan (born 1961), Australian priest and scholar
Angela McGowan, Australian archeologist
Archibald C. McGowan (1822–1893), New York politician
Baron McGowan, the title of four Scottish barons
Bill McGowan (1896–1954), American baseball umpire
Brandon McGowan (born 1983), American football player
Brian McGowan (disambiguation) several people including:

Brian McGowan (businessman) (born 1945), co-founder of Williams Holdings
Brian McGowan (footballer) (born 1938), Australian rules footballer
Brian McGowan (politician) (1935–1994), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

Charles M. McGowan (1923–2013), American businessman and politician
Donald W. McGowan (1899–1967), U.S. Army Major General
Dustin McGowan (born 1982), North American baseball player
Dylan McGowan (born 1991), Australian soccer player
Ed McGowin (born 1938), American visual artist
Gavin McGowan (born 1976), English footballer
Gerald S. McGowan (born 1946), United States Ambassador to Portugal, 1998–2001
J. P. McGowan (1880–1952), Australian-American actor, screenwriter, and director
James McGowen (1855–1922), Premier of New South Wales 1910–1913
Jayden McGowan, American football player
Jewel McGowan (1921–1962), American dancer
Joe McGowan (born 1944), Irish historian
John McGowan (disambiguation), several people, including

Jack McGowan (playwright) (1894–1977), Broadway writer, performer and producer
John McGowan (footballer), Scottish footballer
Jack McGowan (golfer) (1930–2001), American professional golfer
John McGowan (Medal of Honor) (1831–?), American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
John McGowan (Ontario politician) (1845–1922), Ontario MPP and member of the Canadian House of Commons
John McGowan (professor) (born 1953), academic at the University of North Carolina, author, editor
J. P. McGowan John Paterson McGowan (1880–1952), Hollywood actor and director
John Reid McGowan (1872–1912), Australian boxing champion

Jonas H. McGowan (1837–1909), US Representative from Michigan
Kathleen McGowan (born 1963), American novelist
Keith McGowan (1943–2013), Australian radio presenter
Kevin McGowan (born 1991), American baseball player
Kyric McGowan (born 1999), American football player
LaQuan McGowan (born 1993), American football player
Margaret M. McGowan (1931–2022), scholar
Mark McGowan (disambiguation), several people

Mark McGowan (born 1967), Australian politician and Premier of Western Australia.
Mark McGowan (Gaelic footballer) (born 1988), Donegal player
Mark McGowan (performance artist) (born 1964), British protester

Martin McGowan (disambiguation), several people, including

Martin McGowan (footballer) (born 1962), Scottish footballer
Martin McGowan (Irish politician) (died 1958), Irish politician and teacher
Martin J. McGowan, Jr. (1920–2009), American politician and newspaper editor

Ned McGowan (lawyer) (1812–1892), North American Gold rush pioneer
Pat McGowan (born 1954), American golfer
Patrick K. McGowan, American politician
P. J. McGowan (born 1950s), Irish Gaelic football manager and administrator
Richard McGowan (1933–2007), American explorer, mountaineer, and entrepreneur
Robert McGowan (disambiguation), several people, including

Robert A. McGowan (1901–1955), American screenwriter and director
Robert F. McGowan (1882–1955), American film director and producer
Robert Barrington-Ward Robert McGowan Barrington-Ward (1891–1948), journalist
Robert McGowan Coventry (1855–1914), Scottish painter
Robert McGowan Dickie (c. 1784 – 1854), Nova Scotia legislator
Robert McGowan Littlejohn (1890–1982), American major general

Rose McGowan (born 1973), American actress
Ross McGowan (born 1982), English golfer
Ryan McGowan (born 1989), Australian soccer player
Samuel McGowan (admiral) (1870–1934), admiral in the United States Navy
Samuel McGowan (general) (1819–1897), Confederate general during the American Civil War
Samuel Henry McGowan (c. 1844 – 1921), gold mining entrepreneur in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Steve McGowan (disambiguation), several people, including

Stephen McGowan, chief financial officer of Sun Microsystems
Stephen McGowan (footballer) (born 1984) Scottish (soccer) footballer
Stephen McGowan (kidnap victim), South African and British citizen, kidnapped in Mali
Steve McGowan, English rugby league player

Taj McGowan (born 1997), American football player
Tom McGowan (born 1959), American actor
Thomas F. McGowan (1925–1997), New York politician and judge
Zach McGowan (born 1980), actor, producer, voice-over artist

MacGowan

Alice MacGowan (1858–1947), American writer
Shane MacGowan (1957–2023), Irish musician
Foster MacGowan Voorhees (1856–1927), American politician, governor of New Jersey

Gowan

Hunter Gowan John Hunter Gowan II (c. 1727 – 1824), Irish Protestant politician and militiaman
Lawrence Gowan (born 1956), Canadian musician who used the stage name Gowan
Ogle Robert Gowan (1803–1876), Canadian-Irish politician, son of Hunter Gowan
Peter Gowan (1946–2009), UK socialist academic

Other uses

USS McGowan (DD-678), a US Navy destroyer

References

^ Dictionary of American Family Names P. Hanks ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2003) Vol. 2 G-N p 554 ISBN 0-19-508137-4 (set)
^ John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, 5th edition, in two volumes, originally published in Dublin in 1892, reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976, Vol. 1, pp. 311–312, 819–820 and 872, for described general historical context for Ulaidh, see, also, The Encyclopedia of Ireland, B. Lalor and F. McCourt editors, © 2003 New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 1089 ISBN 0-300-09442-6

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