Gow or MacGowan

The Gows or MacGowans name originates from the word Ghoba in Gaelic which means blacksmith or armourer, and the Gaelic, Mac a'Ghobhain translates to 'son of smith'.

The Gows therefore have strong associations with many clans due to their trade, in particular that of Clan Chattan and the Macphersons in the Highlands. This is immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in 'Hal o' the Wynd' in The Fair Maid of Perth, when Henry Wynd, known as 'the crooked smith', fought on behalf of Clan Chattan and the Macphersons.

The homes of the Gows were to be found in Perthshire and Invernesshire, and memorable name bearers include Neil Gow, famed for his prowess with fiddle and his compositions of popular folk reels and strathspeys in the 18th Century.The name has been changed in the past after the Rising to take on the literal meaning, 'Smith'. The Smiths began to manufacture whisky.

The MacGowan name can be found throughout the whole of Scotland and has origins in Nithsdale as far back as the 12th Century.