Cowlishaw is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Gillian Cowlishaw (born 1934), New Zealand-born anthropologist James Cowlishaw (1834–1929), Australia architect, businessman and politician Mary Lou Cowlishaw (1932–2010), American politician Mike Cowlishaw, computer scientist Tim Cowlishaw (born 1955), American sportswriter William Harrison Cowlishaw (1869–1957), British architect
See also Cole slaw (disambiguation)