McGowen
An Irish surname that likely began as a Gaelic patronymic related to the name Gowan/Geoghegan forms.
The #8,606 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,718 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McGowen is a variant spelling of an Irish Gaelic surname, usually treated as belonging to the broader MacGowan/Magowan group. The name appears in historical sources alongside forms such as MacGowan, MacGeown, and Magowen, suggesting a patronymic built from a Gaelic personal name rather than from the English occupational word for a smith. In many Irish surnames of this type, the prefix Mac means "son of," while the rest of the name reflects an older Gaelic given name or nickname that has been heavily altered in anglicization.
History
This surname is found in several anglicized spellings in Irish records, especially in Ulster and related Irish contexts. The variation in forms reflects the way Gaelic names were rendered differently by clerks over time, producing spellings such as MacGowen, Magowan, Gowen, and Geon. Because the historical sources group it with other Irish surnames rather than giving a single fixed derivation, the precise original Gaelic form is not fully certain from these excerpts alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Irish surname lists often pile together several different spellings under one entry, which is why McGowen can appear beside very different-looking forms such as Geon and Gough.
From the historical record
“TTlAC An 5'<^^^^ii' MacGowan, MacGowen, Magowan, Gowen, Gowing, Goan, Gaan ; Smith, Smyth.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames