The Gowen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,186 people carried this name — #10,114 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 92,600 people counted. That is up 1% from 3,157 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the Gowen name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Cork.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 4
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

54 families named Gowen, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 301 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 19
Maine 10
South Carolina 9
New Hampshire 6
North Carolina 3
Vermont 2
Pennsylvania 2
Virginia 2
Connecticut 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 242 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Gowen in American newspapers,
1890–1924.

Newspaper page from South Bend News-times carrying the name Gowen
South Bend News-times 1924-08-31
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Gowen
The Salt Lake Herald 1890-01-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Gowen in Australian newspapers,
1800s–1990s.

58,921 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gowen. The most, 31,657, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 45,169
Queensland 4,624
Victoria 3,647
South Australia 2,578
Western Australia 1,657
Tasmania 1,180
ACT (Canberra) 57
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gowen.

Who carried it

People named Gowen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Maria Gowen Brooks
    Maria Gowen Brooks 1794–1845 · writer
  • Franklin B. Gowen
    Franklin B. Gowen 1836–1889 · businessperson
  • Herbert Henry Gowen
    Herbert Henry Gowen 1864–1960 · priest
  • Herbert Henry Gowen
    Herbert Henry Gowen 1864–1960 · priest
  • William Gowen 1749–1808
  • Ann Gowen Hale Locke 1796–1856

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Gowen,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States354 records

354 records of the Gowen name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 129
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 76
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 62
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 48
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 16
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 15
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 7
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Norman E. Gowen

    Born 1917 in Maine. Enlisted 1945 at Portland; machinist from York County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, Wells, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catherine Gowen

    Arrived at New York in 1855 aboard the James Foster Jr. from Liverpool, aged 16; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Ricky Wayne Gowen

    U.S. Army veteran. Born 1955, died 1999; buried at Royce City Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 354 records for Gowen in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia93 records

93 records of the Gowen name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 55
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 21
  • Tasmanian Names Index 10
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 5
  • Canberra cemetery and marriage records 1
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Gowen

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lord Lyndoch, arriving 1833; ticket of leave 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Martha Gowen

    Arrived in Queensland in 1909 aboard the Perthshire, aged 39.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Charles Gowen

    Buried in 1950 at Woden Cemetery, Canberra, ACT.

    ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 93 records for Gowen in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada51 records

51 records of the Gowen name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 46
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ethel Gowen

    Died 1948, aged 70; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jennie Margaret Gowen

    Died 1967 in Hebron, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Charles Gerard Gowen

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 51 records for Gowen in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Gowen name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Henry Gowen

    Buried in 1900 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 87.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David Charles Gowen

    Will proved in 1930; of Carmarthen.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Gowen

    Lance Corporal, Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Gowen in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Gowen name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Gowen

    From Tugam, Luckau. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 8 December 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Gowen

    From Erpitz, Calau. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 26 November 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Gowen.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Gowen is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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