2000
#1,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.74
Uncommon Last name
Mcgowan
Derived from the Irish "Mag Gabhann," meaning "son of the smith."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,612 Americans carry the last name Mcgowan. That puts it at #1,080 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,362 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgowan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcgowan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
37K
1 in 9,362
Census rank
#1,080
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,927 bearers of the surname Mcgowan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1080th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowan, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgowan
The surname McGowan has its origins in Ireland, with the name first appearing in historical records during the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "Mag Gobhann," which translates to "son of the smith." This suggests that the name may have been originally held by a family of blacksmiths or metalworkers.
The name McGowan is believed to have originated in County Cavan, located in the northern part of Ireland. County Cavan was once part of the ancient Irish kingdom of Bréifne, which was ruled by the O'Rourke clan. It is possible that the McGowans were members of this clan or associated with them in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McGowan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In an entry from the year 1181, a man named "Conchobhar Mac Gobhann" is mentioned as being involved in a conflict between rival Irish clans.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Irish families, including those with the surname McGowan, were forced to leave their homeland due to the English colonization of Ireland and the subsequent suppression of Irish culture and language. This led to the spread of the name across other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world.
Notable individuals with the surname McGowan throughout history include:
1. William McGowan (1796-1853), an Irish-born American lawyer and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Delaware.
2. John McGowan (1826-1902), an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman who played a key role in the development of the city of Ballarat.
3. Edward Ambrose McGowan (1863-1917), an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia.
4. James McGowan (1873-1952), an Irish-born American labor leader and political activist who played a significant role in the establishment of the American Federation of Labor.
5. John McGowan (1918-2003), an American actor and writer who appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the popular sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies."
While these are just a few examples, the surname McGowan has been borne by many notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its deep roots and enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgowan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowan, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgowan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcgowan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.6% · 23,175
- Black or African American19.0% · 6,074
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,256
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,021
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 148
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgowan
Mcgowan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,340
+1,671 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 11.30
Rank movement Down 36 places
2020
#1,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,927
-1,413 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 10.68
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,010 | 31,669 | 11.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,046 | 33,340 | 11.30 | +1,671 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 36 places |
| 2020 | #1,080 | 31,927 | 10.68 | -1,413 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 34 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcgowan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,046 | #1,080 | -3.3% |
| Count | 33,340 | 31,927 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 11.30 | 10.68 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgowan bearers went from 33,340 to 31,927 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,046 to #1,080.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcgowan
FAQ
Mcgowan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgowan?
Name Census estimates that about 36,612 living Americans carry the surname Mcgowan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,362 residents.
How common is Mcgowan?
Mcgowan ranks #1,080 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,927 people with the surname Mcgowan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,612), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Mcgowan.
Has Mcgowan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgowan went from 33,340 recorded bearers to 31,927. That is a decrease of 1,413 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,046 to #1,080.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgowan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgowan, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcgowan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (23,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgowan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.6%), Black (19.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcgowan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcgowan mean?
Derived from the Irish "Mag Gabhann," meaning "son of the smith." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcgowan (10.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Mcgowan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.