Cowan is a surname of both Scottish-Irish and Jewish origins. As a Scottish or Irish surname The name Cowan is first seen in the historical record in the UK and Ireland among Briton people in the Scottish and English borderlands. It derives from the old Gaelic MacEoghain or MacEoin (the "mac" prefix meaning "son of") or the Gaelic given name Eoghan. Alternate Anglicized spellings in Scotland include Cowen and Kewon. Similar names with the same derivation in Ireland and Northern Ireland are Coen, Coan, and Coyne, as well as McKeown and McKeon (the Irish prefix "mc" having the same meaning as the Scottish Gaelic "mac"). Notable people with the surname Adeline May Cowan, Scottish botanist Aileen H. Cowan (born 1926), Canadian painter and sculptor Andrew Cowan (disambiguation), several people Austin M. Cowan (1885–1949), Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court Barry Cowan (broadcaster), journalist and broadcaster Barry Cowan (tennis), former tennis player Bernard Cowan (1922–1990), Canadian actor, producer, and writer Cathy A. Cowan, American economist and social scientist Charles Cowan (1801–1889), Scottish politician and papermaker Charles Cowan (cricketer) (1883–1958), Welsh-born English cricketer and naval officer Charley Cowan (1938–1998), American football player Cindy Cowan, Movie producer Clyde Cowan, co-discoverer of the neutrino Darcy Rivers Warren Cowan, Australian medical practitioner David Tennant Cowan, British World War II general known as "Punch" Cowan Denys Cowan, American comic book artist and television producer Ed Cowan (born 1982), Australian cricketer Edith Cowan, first female member of an Australian parliament Elliot Cowan, actor Ernest Cowan, Western Australian politician Glenn Cowan, American table tennis player, involved in Ping Pong Diplomacy Harry Cowan (1893–1974), Scottish footballer Hendy Cowan (born 1943), Western Australian politician Henry Cowan, British politician Henry Kenneth Cowan, a British medical practitioner Hugh Cowan, a former Canadian church minister, historian, author and editor James Alexander Cowan, son of Hugh Cowan, was a Canadian writer and a well known public relations consultant James Cowan (author), Australian author James Cowan (British Army officer) Major General, British Army James Cowan (South Australian politician) Jean Hunter Cowan, Scottish artist Jeff Cowan, ice hockey player Jerome Cowan, actor Joe Cowan, American football player John Cowan, American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player John Cowan (RAN officer), Australian navy officer John Cowan (sheriff), Lord Mayor of London John Cowan (South Australian politician) John Lancelot Cowan, South Australian politician John Macqueen Cowan (1892–1960), Scottish botanist John W. Cowan, American programmer