Surname Gowne - Meaning and Origin
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Gowne: What does the surname Gowne mean?
The last name Gowne is of English origin and is a variation of the name Goun. It is said that it first appeared in medieval records in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It was derived from the Old English words 'gōd', meaning 'good', and 'deing', meaning a 'ploughman or husbandman'.
The Gowne surname is often found associated with the occupations of husbandmen, cultivators, and farmers, particularly during the Middle Ages when land ownership and tenancy were intricately linked with surnames.
The Gowne surname was often found linked to large estates and manors throughout northern England, specifically in places like Cleveland, Lancashire, and Cheshire.
The name Gowne is often linked to large landowners, as it appears many times in the records of landholders throughout the 1500s and 1600s.
The Gowne surname is also associated with wealthy individuals, as its appearance in documents often indicates that the individual was a man of some means.
Today, the Gowne surname is fairly common throughout the British Isles, particularly in the northern parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It is also found in smaller numbers in the United States and Canada.
Order DNA origin analysisGowne: Where does the name Gowne come from?
The surname Gowne is most commonly found in the United Kingdom and Ireland today. Originally a locational name, it was used to identify a person from the town of Gowne in Worcestershire, which is now part of the city of Worcester. In the UK, the highest concentration of Gowne families are located in the West Midlands county of Staffordshire, where there are record of the family from the 12th century.
In Ireland, it is is among the top 400 surnames, and is predominantly found in the provinces of Leinster, Connacht, and Munster. In the United States, Gowne families are most commonly found in the Great Lakes region of the country, particularly in states such as Michigan and Minnesota, where the family name arrived during the height of Irish emigration in the mid-19th century.
More recently, Gowne families have been found scattered throughout the United States and Canada, particularly in the coastal states and provinces nearby the Great Lakes. Furthermore, the Australian city of Melbourne has also seen the rise of Gowne families over the past several decades. Finally, the surname is also found in other parts of the world, such as South Africa, France, Spain, and Germany.
Variations of the surname Gowne
Gowne is a name with a variety of variants and spellings, some of which have evolved over time as people moved, changed their surnames or simply chose to spell their names differently.
Gown, Gowan, Goin, Goun, Gowney, Gawen, Gaun, Gwilliam, McDonnell, Cowne, and Cowen are all variants of the surname Gowne.
The Irish variant of the surname is Gowan. The Gaelic form of Gowan is Mac Caoin. During the English colonization of Ireland, many families adopted English surnames to distinguish themselves from other clans. Thus, some families changed the spelling of Gowan to Gowne.
McGowan is also a common variant of the name and is typically Irish. Other variants, including McAuley, McKown and McGuno, are possible but less common.
The variant Gwilliam is found in some early Welsh and Old English records, and could refer to individuals with roots in either of these cultures.
Gowan, Gaun, and Cowne are also found in Scotland. Scottish Gaelic spellings include Mac Ghobhainn and Mac Gobhainn, both of which are common variants of the Gowne surname.
There are also some American variations on the name, such as Going, Gwin, Gwynn, and Goin.
In summary, Gowne has a variety of variant spellings, derived from early origins in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and of English influence for some American variations.
Famous people with the name Gowne
- Dave Gowne: English actor and director, best known for his roles in the BBC television sitcoms Bottom, The IT Crowd and The Thick of It.
- Vicki Gowne: Canadian actress and singer, best known for her roles in the TV show The L Word and the film The Prince & Me: The Elephant Adventure.
- Lord Gowne: British politician who served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire from 1858-1859.
- Alli Gowne: American programmer and software developer who co-founded an online gift company in 2009.
- Natacha Gowne: British-born fashion designer and founder of the contemporary fashion line Gowne.
- June Gowne: Actress who appeared in several British films during the 1940s and 1950s, such as The Quare Fellow and Touch and Go.
- Ace Gowne: Former professional skateboarder who competed in Skatingboards Magazine Street finals in 1991, and was a member of the Toy Machine skateboarding team.
- Mike Gowne: American rock musician and former punk vocalist of the band Flipper.
- Colin Gowne: Visual artist and illustrator from the United Kingdom, known for his work in comics, web comic art and magazine advertisements.
- Jack Gowne: Canadian curler from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who competed in the Women's World Curling Championship in 2011.