Re: Does anyone know where I can find the meaning of the name Mccown?
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In reply to:
Does anyone know where I can find the meaning of the name Mccown?
Steven L. McCown 8/04/02
Steven, This some of this info is from Black's Surnames of Scotland:MacILchohmghain means the son of the servant or follower of St.Comghan.This saint was a missionary on the west coast of Scotland in the 7th century AD. The MacILchohmghains were a Sept of unknown origin who were early possessors of Inverarry in Argyll.St. Chohmghain was an Irish prince who was forced to flee Ireland with his sister after a failed political power play.They were assisted in Scotland by the Kellys, some of whom are associated with the Clan Donald.His sister also became a saint and lived on an island in Loch Lomond.Black's gives McCown and MacCowan as variants of MacILchohmghain.In order for a Sept to have this name, it would have to have adopted the name in favor of this prince which would place it in the 7th century or later.I would guess that a prince and princess would require a sizeable retinue of supporters, perhaps some of them of their family in Ireland, to settle in a new country.The retinue could well have been the nucleous of the "Sept".The choice of the word Sept probably requires some previous clan affiliation either in Ireland or in Scotland.The MacILchohghains were recorded as having dealings with Campbells and Macdougalls.In an email from Alex Cowan from Glasgow, Scotland, he postulates that the Cowans and MacCowans have seperated pedigrees.His family history centers largely in Perthshire while he believes the MacCowans' history is mainly in Argyll and Ayrshire.As you are aware, the McCowans are also shown as a sept of Clan Colquhoun while the MacCowans are shown as a sept of Clan Macdougall.Chohmghain is spelled many different was and apparently the ancient pronounciation could have sounded like "Coowan". The name also appears a Co'an, and in that guise was said to be the idol of Macdonell of Glengarry when he was denounced by the Macintoshes to the Presbyterian establisment.He was said to have an image of St. Co'an in his possession.