The Cowan One-Name Study was initiated in 2023 to research all occurrences of the name, from its origins in Ireland and Scotland. Information published here including indexes of births, marriages, and deaths by location; church records (baptisms, confirmations, marriages); biographies; public family trees; newspaper articles and academic papers; professional and military service records; photographs; DNA studies; and migration patterns/geographic distributions of the Cowan name and its variants.

Coan, Coen, Cohen, Cowen, Coyne, Keohane, Koen, Keown/McKeown, Mac/McEoghan, McGeown, MacComhain/Comhan, Ó Comhdhain

The name has Scottish, Hebrew, and Irish origins. It is found in Scotland and Ulster in the north of Ireland. The name is thought to have come from the old Gaelic Mac/McEoghain, meaning the son of Eoghan. The motto often seen on the Cowan coat of arms since the 17th century is "Sic itur in altum" – translation: This is the way to heaven.

The first recorded spelling of the family name appears to be for Elizabeth Cowan dated November 12th 1580 in London. John Cowan was Chancellor of Christ church, Waterford, Ireland in 1582. Cowan's Hospital in Sterling, Scotland was established in 1637 with funds from the estate of John Cowan (1570-1633). John Cowan (1828-1896) was a professor of medicine at the University of Glasgow. James Cowan (1848-1890) originally from Tyrone in Ireland, migrated to South Australia where he was a farmer, politician, and an early investor in the BHP mining company.