Cowan Street was called after James Cowan (1822–1893), salt merchant, who was a prominent Town Councillor from 1875 for 17 years.
He took an active part in many civic improvements, was the first to propose Dundee as a Cattle Port, and strongly supported the idea of District Reading Rooms long before these were realised.
Source: ‘Glimpses of Old and New Dundee’ – A.H. Millar, January 1925