GOWING
The surname Gowing is an English family name that has attained a noticeable presence within the British Isles, particularly in the eastern counties of Norfolk and Essex as well as in the metropolitan area of London.
Its earliest documented derivation is from the Old English verb gawan, meaning “to go” or “to walk.” The term suggests that the name was originally an occupational or nicknaming surname, perhaps applied to a person who was a frequent traveller or a prompt walker. The semantic field of movement was understood as a sign of restless or energetic character, and the name may have been a convenient way of marking an individual who displayed such attributes.
Other scholarly sources recognise several possibilities for the surname’s origin. It has been linked to the pre‑7th century Old English word gobha or to the Breton‑Norman cognate goff, both conveying the meaning “smith.” A third hypothesis ties it to the Welsh and Old British word coch, meaning “red,” which would give rise to a nickname for a red‑haired person. These divergent explanations illustrate that the name's ancestry may combine regional linguistic features with social references.
Throughout medieval England the spelling of Gowing varied widely. Contemporary records show forms such as Goff, Goffe, Gow, Gowan, Gowans, Gowanson, and for subsistently distinct versions Gowing and Going, which were especially common in East Anglia. In Scotland and Ireland the surname commonly appeared as the Gaelic MacGowan or McGowan, and those names are traditionally associated with the Clan Chattan, although the precise historical linkage remains uncertain.
Archaeological evidence from surviving charters and county registers documents individuals bearing the surname and its variants. In 1287 the Assize Lists of Cheshire record a Robart Gogh; the Pipe Rolls of 1230 list a Richard Gow of Somerset; the Dundee martyrs’ register of 1578 contains an Alexander Gowansoun; a 1595 Perth arrest book records a Michael Gow punishable for “raiding”; and 1661 witnesses in Norfolk registered a Thomas Gowing at Redenhall hall.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the surname remained firmly entrenched in East Anglia, where many families carried it up the social fabric. Records from the church of St. James in Clerkenwell, London, note a Philip Gowen as a witness in 1616. By the early modern period the name continued to spread, facilitated by internal migration across England and later by emigration to North America and Australasia. Consequently, Gowing now appears in the historical archives of the United States, Canada, and Australia as well as within domestic parish registers.
The multiplicity of spelling variants has often complicated genealogical research, requiring a careful examination of regional orthographic conventions and the evolution of spelling rules over centuries. Theoretically, the name may also be represented in double‑barrelled forms such as Gowing‑Smith or Gowing‑Jones, a practice that emerged more frequently in the 19th century as surnames were combined to preserve patrimonial heritage.
In contemporary usage the surname Gowing is still recognised as a distinct and culturally significant identifier within the United Kingdom, particularly to those tracing roots in the historic counties of Norfolk, Essex, and London. Its layered linguistic heritage—rooted in movement, craftsmanship, and possibly pigmentation—reflects a broader pattern of English surnames that evolved from descriptive nicknames to hereditary family names.
Typical given names associated with the Gowing surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Charlotte
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Joanne
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Sharon
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 Gowing in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,561 people named Gowing in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,199th most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Gowing.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Gowing
- Lawrence Gowing - Artist (1918 to 1991)
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.