Cowan (surname)

Cowan is a surname of both Scottish-Irish and Jewish origins.

As a Scottish or Irish surname

The name Cowan is first seen in the historical record in the British isles among Briton people in the Scottish and English borderlands.[1] It derives from the old Gaelic MacEoghain or MacEoin (the "mac" prefix meaning "son of") or the Gaelic given name Eoghan. Alternate Anglicized spellings in Scotland include Cowen and Kewon.[2] Similar names with the same derivation in Ireland and Northern Ireland are Coen, Coan, and Coyne, as well as McKeown and McKeon (the Irish prefix "mc" having the same meaning as the Scottish Gaelic "mac").[3]

As a Jewish surname

Cowan is a variant of Cohen, the Hebrew for "priest". The oldest and probably the most common Jewish family name in existence, Cohen indicates descent from the biblical priestly family, Cohanim. According to tradition, the Cohanim are descendants of Aaron, the first high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. The Cohanim performed consecrated duties in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem until the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE and still have certain duties and prerogatives in religious life.

A great many variants of the name are documented all over the world. In many cases Cohen was transformed into vernacular-sounding names. This enabled Jews in the Diaspora both to maintain their Jewish tradition, as well as to become part of their host society. Among the forms frequent in the Mediterranean region are Kahin, Al-Kuhen, El-Kohen, Kouihen, Choen, Xohen and Cof(f)en. Variants documented in Europe include: Cowen and Cowan (England); Cohn, Conn, Kahn, Kohn(e) and Kohner (Germany and Austria); Cahn, Cahen, Cahon, Caen and Cain (France); Coen (Italy); Cahan, Cahona, Kahana, Kahano, Kahane, Kon, Koihen, Kagan, Kogan, Kaplan, Kohnowsky, Koganovitch, Kahanow, Kahansky, Konstamm (Eastern Europe).

Cohan, Cohane, Cohne, Cone, Coon, Kan and Koon are recorded in the United States. The old title Kohen Tzedek, meaning in Hebrew "authentic priest" (a more accurate translation than the more common term "righteous priest"), indicated authentic lineage. It was abbreviated to Katz, literally "cat" an animal name, in Yiddish and German, and became the source of numerous family names.

Cohanim/Cohens who had broken one of the sacred laws or special rules applying to them were sometimes known as Halal and no longer called Cohen. Some took different family names, among them the North African Bettan and Ben Kessous.

Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Cowan include the British lieutenant colonel Phineas Cowan (1832-1899) and the 20th century Polish-born Australian educator Henry Jacob Cowan.[4][5]

Notable people with the surname

See also

References
  1. "Cowan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". House of Names. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  2. Name Origin Research. "Last name: Cowan". Surname Database. Name Origin Research.
  3. "Cowan Family Surname - Northern Ireland". Emerald Ancestors. Emerald Ancestors. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  4. https://dbs.bh.org.il/familyname/cowan
  5. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4454-cohen
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