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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2012
Rowan Family Crest
Rowan Family Crest
Rowan

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Contents

Origins Available: English, Irish

Where did the English Rowan family come from? What is the English Rowan family crest and coat of arms? When did the Rowan family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Rowan family history?

The illustrious surname Rowan is classified as a habitation surname, which was originally derived from a place-name, and is one form of surname belonging to a broader group called hereditary surnames. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Topographic names, form the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Rowan is a place-name from in Rouen, the capital of Normandy. The surname was derived from the Viscountcy of Rohan, in Brittany, in France. As a local name, it could also have been derived from the local at the rowan which referred to a residence beside a rowan-tree. Habitation names were derived from the name of the town, village or hamlet where the person originally lived.

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Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Roan, Rohan, Roohan, Rome, Rowan and others.

First found in Durham where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.


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This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rowan research. Another 163 words(12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rowan History in all our PDF Extended History products.

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More information is included under the topic Early Rowan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Some of the Rowan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 211 words(15 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Rowan, or a variant listed above:

Rowan Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century


  • Margaret Rowan, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685

Rowan Settlers in the United States in the 18th Century


  • Matthew Rowan, who landed in Cape Fear, NC in 1739
  • John Rowan, who landed in North Carolina in 1747
  • Margaret Rowan settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767 with her husband Robert

Rowan Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century


  • James Rowan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pa in 1816
  • Mary Rowan, who landed in New York, NY in 1816
  • Samuel Rowan, who landed in Charleston, SC in 1826
  • Maurice Rowan, aged 21, arrived in New York in 1854
  • Andrew, Denis, Edmond, Henry, James, John, Patrick, Thomas, and William Rowan all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870

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  • Dick Rowan, American Comedian
  • Stephen Clegg Rowan (1805-1890), American (Irish born) admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War
  • Carl T Rowan (b. 1925), American journalist and author, U.S. ambassador to Finland (1963-1964)
  • Daniel Hale "Dan" Rowan (1922-1987), American Comedian
  • Peter Rowan (b. 1942), American bluegrass, country musician
  • Andrew Summers Rowan (1857-1943), American Army officer who served as the liaison between the United States and Cuban rebels led by General Calixto García during the Spanish American War
  • Carl Rowan, syndicated columnist
  • Archibald Hamilton Rowan (1751-1834), Irish nationalist
  • Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan (1800-1861), Irish antiquary and genealogist


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  1. Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
  2. Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
  3. Marcharn, Frederick George. A Constitutional History of Modern England 1485 to the Present. London: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Print.
  4. Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
  5. Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
  6. MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
  7. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
  8. Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
  9. Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
  10. Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
  11. ...

The Rowan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Rowan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 3 March 2012 at 22:49.

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