Contents [hide]

Cowman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Cowman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

It is generally believed that this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or perhaps from the herb called "cummin" (cumin). Or the name may have come from the place name Comines, in Flanders, Northern France. 1

"This ancient family claim descent from the great house of Comines in France. They seem to have come into Britain at the Conquest, though they do not appear eo nomine in Domesday. " 2

Early Origins of the Cowman family

The surname Cowman was first found in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire in England, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Robert of Comyn (Comines,) a noble who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066 and was made Earl of Northumberland. 3

Other early records of the family shown with a myriad of early spellings include: Godwinus filius Cumine in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1173; Eustachius filius Cumini in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219; Petrus filius Kymine in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; Hugh Coumini listed in France in 1157; Walter Cumin in the Pipe Rolls for Wales in 1158; John Comin in Lincolnshire in 1175-1179; and William Cumyn in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire in 1230. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Florentina Comin, Oxfordshire; Peter Comyn, Wiltshire; Stephen Comyng, Essex; and Thomas Comyn, Gloucestershire. 5 Another source notes that Admund le Comyn was listed in Norfolk, 14 Edward II (during the fourteenth year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Today Commins is a small hamlet in Denbighshire and Commins Coch is a small village in the county of Powys, Wales.

Saint Comman of Ross-Commain (fl. 550), was son of Faelchu and "descendant of Fiacha Araidhe, of the family of Rudhraighe, and race of Ir, king of Ulster, A.D. 236." 7

Early History of the Cowman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowman research. Another 487 words (35 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1133, 1153, 1289, 1296, 1302, 1306, 1667, 1688, 1690, 1696, 1714, 1729, 1730, 1740, 1747, 1751, 1775, 1833, 1835, 1844, 1849, 1851, 1867, 1870, 1875, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cowman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cumin, Cumins, Cumine, Cummin, Cummins, Cummine, Comings, Comins, Commin and many more.

Early Notables of the Cowman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Alexander Comyn (d. 1289), Earl of Buchan, a Scotish-Norman nobleman, son of William Comyn and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan, Fergus...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cowman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowman Ranking

In the United States, the name Cowman is the 18,753^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Cowman family to Ireland

Some of the Cowman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cowman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Cowman, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 9

Cowman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Annie Cowman, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States from Wallsend, England, in 1910
Mary Isabella Cowman, aged 30, who immigrated to America from Wallsend, England, in 1910
Robert Arthur Cowman, aged 49, who landed in America from New Mills, England, in 1919
Robert H. Cowman, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States from Leeds, England, in 1920
Stanley James Cowman, aged 5, who landed in America from Leeds, England, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cowman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cowman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

S. Cowman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Childe Harold" in 1849 10
Mary Cowman, aged 22, a kitchen maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 11
Bridget Cowman, aged 24, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Tantivy"

Contemporary Notables of the name Cowman (post 1700) +

Charles Elmer Cowman (1868-1924), American missionary evangelist in Japan, one of the cofounders of the Oriental Missionary Society and The Cowman Memorial Bible Training Institute
Lettie Burd Cowman (1870-1960), American author and co-founder of The Oriental Missionary Society, wife of Charles Elmer Cowman
Dick Cowman (b. 1949), English retired rugby union international player who represented England (1971 to 1973)
Stanley Corbett Cowman (1923-2003), New Zealand cricket umpire

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHILDE HAROLD 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849ChildeHarold.htm
South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml