Surname Cowy - Meaning and Origin
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Cowy: What does the surname Cowy mean?
The last name Cowy is a variant spelling of the Irish surname Cowie, which is a surname mainly found in Ireland, Scotland, and England. It is an Anglicized form of two distinct Irish surnames: Ó Comhdhaigh (from the Irish for ‘descendant of Comhdaigh’) and Mac Comhdaigh ‘(from the Irish for ’son of Comhdaigh’).
The given name Comhdaigh is derived from the Irish word 'comhda' which, in turn, is derived from the Gaelic word 'comh', meaning 'joint'. This name was likely given to a family who operated a joint farm or owned jointed land.
The Cowy surname is also associated with the Norse given names Cu (a variant of Kjúrr, meaning ‘free’ or ‘porridge’), or Coe (a pet form of the Old Norse name Kúl, meaning ‘wood’).
These names represent the many different cultures which settled in Ireland and Scotland during the medieval period. People often adopted surnames to distinguish themselves from others.
Today, the Cowy surname is still found in different countries around the world. It is most common in Ireland, Scotland, the USA, Canada, and Australia, where people of varying backgrounds have adopted and use this name.
Order DNA origin analysisCowy: Where does the name Cowy come from?
The Cowy surname is generally believed to have originated in the South West of England. It is most commonly associated with Devon, where a Cowy family were recorded as early as the 16th century.
Today, the surname Cowy is found in many English-speaking countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
In the United States, the states with the highest concentration of Cowys are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. In California, the Cowy surname was found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. The top counties in Texas include Harris, Dallas, Travis and Bexar. In New York, the top counties are Kings, Queens, Nassau, Bronx and Suffolk. Pennsylvania's most populated county for Cowys is Philadelphia. And finally, in Florida, the counties with the highest concentrations are Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Hillsborough.
In the United Kingdom, the county with the highest concentration of Cowys is Devon, followed by Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset and Oxfordshire.
The Cowy surname is also common in Canada and Australia, though in smaller numbers. In Canada, the major cities where the surname is found include Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton. In Australia, the top cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Overall, it is safe to say that the Cowy surname is quite widespread but still relatively rare in many countries.
Variations of the surname Cowy
Cowy is an English and American surname of unknown origin. It is a rare surname, currently held by fewer than 50 people in the United States, according to the 2020 Census.
Variants of the surname Cowy include Cowie, Cowey, Cowee, Cowy, Cowey, Cowy, Cowey, Couli, Coulie, Cowi, Cooey, and Cooe.
The various spellings of Cowy can be attributed to most likely an error when it was first recorded or the creative influence of the recorder. Historical documents used several different spellings to record the same name, so spelling variants often derived from an individual’s personal preference or even a dialect of the recording clerk.
The surnames Coulie and Cowi are the closest variants to Cowy, most likely arising from an error in pronunciation or hearing of Cowy. The variants Cooey and Cooe could also be connected to Cowy, though less likely, as they are phonetically closer than the other variants.
Variants of the surname Cowy can be found throughout the world in modern times, most likely the result of migrations and resettlements. However, variants of theCowy surname can also have derived from a larger group of surnames of the same origin, nicknames, or even names of places.
Overall, the variants, spellings, and surnames of Cowy are wide ranging and often difficult to trace. To accurately trace the variations of Cowy, further research into the name’s origin and its migration to different countries must be undertaken.
Famous people with the name Cowy
- Al Cowy: former vice president and executive producer of comedy at Paramount Pictures.
- Carole Cowan: Canadian medical researcher, professor and former president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation.
- David Cowy: British-American television executive, producer and director.
- John Cowy: Canadian painter known for his physical abstracts and performance pieces.
- Jodie Cowy: English actress known for her roles in Ashes to Ashes, Monarch of the Glen and Being Human.
- Karen Cowy: Canadian television writer and twice winner of the Writers Guild of Canada Award for Best Drama Series.
- Kenny Cowy: former English professional footballer who played for the Tottenham Hotspur, Windsor & Eton, and Wembley.
- Mark Cowy: American TV producer best known for producing legal television shows.
- Rob Cowy: Canadian blues/folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
- Sarah Cowy: Australian performing artist and voice coach.