Rowan Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Rowan Family History

Rowan Family History

The Rowan ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Rowan include O'Rowan, O'Ruan, Ruan, Rouine, O'Rogan, Rogan and Ruane. These Gaelic families were a Sept of the Ui Maine, in Irish O'Ruadhain, whose modern representatives are numerous in the Ui Maine country of east Galway. In north Connacht the name is found as part of a Ui Fiachrach Sept located around the parish of Robeen, County Mayo, and is still found there as Ruane, on records from the year 1840. In the 'Annals of Loch Ce' the name was anglicized as Rowan, Ruane, and Roughan. The variant O'Rwan occurs frequently in the Fiants relating to Counties Clare, Cork, Wicklow, Kildare, and Leix. Some Rowans were a branch of the O'Morchoe sept, as witnessed in a pardon that was granted in the year 1584. Today the name is found in all the Provinces, the majority being found in Ulster.The Rowan family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Rowan descendants.