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Rowan Family History

Rowan Name Meaning

Irish: from Ó Ruadháin or Ó Ruaidhín both meaning ‘descendant of Ruadhán’ a personal name from a diminutive of ruadh ‘red’. See also Rooney . Irish: from Ó Ruadhacháin ‘son of Ruadhachán’ a personal name from a diminutive of ruadh ‘red’ (also used as a placename and Anglicized as Roughan). Compare also Rogan (Ó Ruadhagáin) of which may be a variant both it and Ó Ruadhacháin being found in Ulster and Connacht. Irish: from Ó Robhacháin the name of a scattered ecclesiastical family found in Clare in the 16th and 17th centuries. The personal name was earlier Reabhachán ‘skillful artful’. Scottish: variant of Rowland . Rowand was a common Scottish pronunciation of Rowland giving the variants Rowand and Rowan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Rohan, Gowan, Ronan, Rogan, Roland, Logan, Roan, Bowen, Toran, Bowlan

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Where is the Rowan family from?

You can see how Rowan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rowan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rowan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 228 Rowan families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Rowan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rowan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rowan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rowan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rowan. 38% of Rowan men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Rowan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rowan were Clerk and School Teacher. .

View Census Data for Rowan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Nurse
    13%
  • Student
    10%
  • School Teacher
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rowan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 101,000 census records available for the last name Rowan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rowan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rowan

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Rowan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Rowan. For the veterans among your Rowan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rowan lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Rowan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Rowan in 1943 was 25, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rowan

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