MacGowan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

The MacGowan surname derives from the Irish Gaelic name Mac an Ghabhain, which means "son of the blacksmith." As such, the name was probably originally occupational. It has often appeared in its Anglicized form Smith.

Early Origins of the MacGowan family

The surname MacGowan was first found in County Cavan, where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity. The Irish name MacGowan (not to be confused with the Scottish, which roots from MacGoun) is most often hidden under the ubiquitous name Smith. In Irish, the name is Mac an Ghabhain, which means 'son of the blacksmith'; thus its translation to Smith. In England, Horsington Manor in Somerset was owned by the Gowens family from sometime in the 1500s through 1653 when it was sold.

Early History of the MacGowan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacGowan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1659 is included under the topic Early MacGowan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacGowan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Smith, MacGowan, McGowan, MacGowin, McGowin, MacGowen, McGowen, Gow, Gowan, Gowen, Gowin, MacGavin and many more.

Early Notables of the MacGowan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

bearers of the Irish name MacGowan, O'Gowan and Smith

MacGowan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacGowan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Patrick MacGowan, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764

MacGowan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Philip MacGowan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 1
Bernard MacGowan, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 1
James MacGowan, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 1
John MacGowan, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 1
Mary MacGowan, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

MacGowan migration to Australia +

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

MacGowan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael MacGowan who was convicted in Cumbria (Westmorland), England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Contemporary Notables of the name MacGowan (post 1700) +

John R. MacGowan, American soldier during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during the Battle of Buna-Gona
Kenneth Macgowan (1888-1963), American Academy Award winning film producer for La Cucaracha (1934), the first chair of the Department of Theater Arts at UCLA
Samuel MacGowan (1819-1897), American Presbyterian, jurist and Confederate soldier
Howard H. MacGowan, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1947-51 3
David Bell Macgowan (b. 1870), American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Moscow, 1915-17; U.S. Consul in Moscow, 1917-18; Vladivostok, 1918-22; Riga, 1922; Kovno, 1927 3
Basil F. Macgowan, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Hamilton, 1945; Belgrade, 1945 3
Shane MacGowan (1957-2023), English-born, Irish musician and songwriter
Alexander Gault MacGowan (1894-1970), British war correspondent during World War II
Shaun MacGowan (b. 1988), British violinist, keyboardist and guitarist
Alexander Henry Boswall MacGowan (1850-1927), Canadian businessman and politician in British Columbia
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The MacGowan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tenebras expellit et hostes
Motto Translation: He drives forth the darkness and the foe.

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html