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Show ContentsCowey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Scotland Scotland
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Cowey. It is a name for someone who works as a tender of cattle. The name is an adaptation of the Old English word cuhyrde, of the same meaning. It derives from the roots, cu, meaning cow, and hierde, meaning herdsman. The family were "mainly from the ancient barony of Cowie in Kincardineshire." 1 2

Early Origins of the Cowey family

The surname Cowey was first found in Kincardineshire (Gaelic: A' Mhaoirne), a former county on the northeast coast of the Grampian region of Scotland, and part of the Aberdeenshire Council Area since 1996. Cowie is a small village "situated at the mouth of the river Cowie, which falls into a bay of that name, forming a small and commodious harbour." 3

Cowie Castle is a ruined fortress nearby and is thought to have been the site of a royal hunting lodge in the Middle Ages. Cowie Chapel also known as the Chapel of St. Mary and St. Nathalan is a ruined chapel but is one of the oldest surviving structures in Kincardineshire.

One of the first records of the family was Herbert de Cowy who witnessed a charter by Nicholas de Dumfres in 1394. Years later, John Cowy was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1505. 1

Early History of the Cowey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowey research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1040, 1394, 1505, 1512, 1600, 1642 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Cowey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowey Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Cowey has been spelled Cowie, Cowey, Cowy, Covie, Cowye, Covey, Cowwie, Cowwey, Coavie, Coawie, Kowie, Kowey, Kovey and many more.

Early Notables of the Cowey family

More information is included under the topic Early Cowey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Canada Cowey migration to Canada +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Cowey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Robert Cowey, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • Charles Cowey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • James Cowey, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. Robert Cowey U.E. who settled in Digdeguash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 he served in the 74th Regiment 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Cowey (post 1700) +

  • Chris Cowey, American producer and director, known for Soapstar Superstar (2006), Top of the Pops (1964) and Tina Turner: Going Home (1993)
  • Brigadier Bernard "Bun" Cowey DSO, OBE (1911-1997), English rugby union wing
  • Alan Cowey FMedSc, iFRS (1935-2012), British scientist and academic, Emeritus Professor of Physiological Psychology at the University of Oxford
  • Edward "Ned" Cowey (1839-1903), British trade unionist, President of the Yorkshire Miners' Association (1881-1903)
  • Chris Cowey (b. 1961), English television producer, best known for producing Top of the Pops from 1997 until 2003
  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
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