COWIE
Cowie is a surname of Scottish origin. The name has roots in the Gaelic language and is linked to the ancient barony of Cowie in Kincardineshire, north of Aberdeen.
The Gaelic word cù meaning “dog” is one traditional etymology. In this view, the name began as a nickname for a person who displayed the loyalty or fierceness that were associated with a dog. A second possibility is that the name derives from colldha, an adjective based on coll meaning “hazel”; places bearing the name would therefore have been associated with hazel trees or a grove of hazels. A third theory suggests a combination of the words aodach “dwelling” and coigh “wood”, pointing to a wooden dwelling near the town of Cowie.
Spelling variants of the surname appear in historical records. The earliest known instance is Herbert de Cowy in 1394, a charter witness during the reign of King Robert 11 of Scotland. Other early records include John Colwye (bailie of Newburcht) in 1617, John Couie in Reidmyre in 1642, and baptisms of William Cowie in Kinneff & Catterline (1673) and Margaret Cowie in Arbuth, Nottinghamshire (1656).
In Scotland the Cowie name was historically associated with the area around Aberdeen, and the surname is still most common in cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, as well as in the eastern counties of Angus and Fife and in the Borders. In England it appears most prominently in Devon, the North West, and the South East, and it is also found in Manchester, Birmingham and London, though to a lesser extent. The surname occurs in Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the United States, often with small variations such as Cowe, Cowey or Cowrie.
The Cowie family was recorded with several coats of arms. One grant, associated with a family living at Furleigh Lodge in Surrey, depicts a shield per pale ermine and black with a fesse counterchanged. Another design shows a blue shield with a vertical silver stave split by a green tree bearing two red berries. The arms are regarded as a dignified representation of the family's heritage and are still used by descendants of the Cowie line.
A prominent bearer of the surname was Professor Benjamin Morgan Cowie (1816‑1900), who taught geometry at Gresham College in London and later served as dean of the universities of Manchester and Exeter. His career exemplifies the intellectual and civic contributions made by individuals bearing the Cowie name.
Overall, the Cowie surname carries a sense of loyalty, strength and a deep connection to Scottish history. Its persistence across centuries and continents reflects a proud lineage that has played a notable role in the cultural and social development of Scotland and beyond.
Typical given names associated with the Cowie surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- George
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- William
Female
- Alison
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Heather
- Helen
- Jean
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cowie in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠺⠊⠑
Morse
-.-.---.--...
Semaphore
There are approximately 8,118 people named Cowie in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,161st most common surname in Britain. Around 125 in a million people in Britain are named Cowie.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Cowie
- Richard Kylea Cowie Jr - Rapper and record producer
- Don Cowie - Scottish football player
- Neil Cowie - Rugby league player
- Peter Cowie - Historian
- Alisha Cowie -
- Tom Cowie - Life President of the Arriva Group (1922 to 2012)
- Lennox Cowie - Actronomer
- Andy Cowie - Football player (1913 to 1972)
- William Cowie - Scottish engineer (1849 to 1910)
- Alexander Cowie - Cricketer (1889 to 1916)
- William Cowie -
- Robert Cowie - Scottish physician and author (1842 to 1874)
- James Cowie - Scottish painter (1886 to 1956)
- Laura Cowie - Scottish actress (1892 to 1969)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.