Where Does the MacGowan Surname Come From?

The spelling MacGowan grew out of McGowan, an Irish surname with a long paper trail. The name is usually explained as “Son of the smith”.

A variant of McGowan

MacGowan is listed among the recognised spellings of McGowan. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. Other spellings include Magowan and Smith.

Heraldry and the MacGowan name

Arms linked to McGowan and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

For the full story, order the MacGowan surname pack.