Gowan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gowan

What is the meaning of the name Gowan ?

The baby name Gowan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ˈɡoʊ.ən (GOH-ən).

Gowan is Irish, Scottish in Origin.

Gowan is a Scottish and Irish name with two strands. In Scots, gowan is the traditional word for the daisy and other meadow flowers, so the given name can mean “daisy/white blossom.” It also reflects Gaelic gobha “smith,” the root of surnames MacGowan/McGowan (“son of the smith”); Gowan often arises as an Anglicized shortening of that family name.

As a forename it appears sporadically in Scotland, Ulster, and colonial America as a transferred surname; an early bearer was Gowan Pamphlet (d. 1809), a Black Baptist minister in Virginia. Modern use remains rare but found in Britain, Ireland, Canada, and the U.S. Variant spellings include Gowen and Goan; related forms are MacGowan/McGowan. Though sometimes compared with Gavin/Gawain, it is etymologically distinct. Meanings offered: “daisy/white blossom” (Scots) or “smith” (Gaelic), giving the name either a gentle nature note or a sturdy craft association.

⚙ Gowan is a rare name. Our records hold just 36 recorded uses, spread over 13 countries.