Cognomen 考林 (考林 
, Cowling 
) , around the globe, is quite a common last name. The surname 考林 is habitual in Reunion, where it is quite a common surname, Australia, where it is quite a rare surname, and the United Kingdom. Measured by absolute frequency, it is commonest in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Much less frequently, 考林 is the forename as well as the last name.