unisex name
Rowan
ROH-un
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 104,258
the United States
#59
2025 births
Rowan is a name with two origins. The Irish line comes from Ó Ruadháin, from ruadh meaning red, giving "little red-haired one." The English line names the rowan tree, whose red berries made it a protective charm in British and Norse folklore.
- Rowan is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 6,452 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 514 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1916.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rowan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 18 |
| 1920s | 72 |
| 1930s | 72 |
| 1940s | 83 |
| 1950s | 77 |
| 1960s | 71 |
| 1970s | 84 |
| 1980s | 271 |
| 1990s | 1,637 |
| 2000s | 9,456 |
| 2010s | 28,943 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 32,069 |
What Rowan means
Rowan means little red one in its Irish line, from a byname for red hair. The tree reading is separate: the rowan, or mountain ash, takes its own name from a Norse root, and its scarlet berries gave it a long folkloric role warding off harm.
Where Rowan comes from
Rowan reaches modern use from two unconnected directions. The Irish surname Ó Ruadháin derives from ruadh, red, a common byname for someone red-haired, and was anglicized as Rowan. Separately, the rowan tree takes its name from the Old Norse reynir, and the tree carried real weight in British and Scandinavian folk belief: rowan wood was hung in barns and byres to protect livestock, and its bright red berries were thought especially potent against ill fortune. The two lines are entirely distinct — one a family name, one a plant — but converge on the same spelling, which is why sources list both. Rowan is given to both boys and girls.
Rowan in use
Rowan wood was hung in barns across Britain and Scandinavia to protect livestock from harm.
How popular is Rowan?
In 2025, Rowan was given to 6,452 babies in the United States, ranking #59 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Rowan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Rowan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Rowan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rowan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Rowan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Rowan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Rowena
Sibling names for Rowan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Rowan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Rowan
What does the name Rowan mean?
The Irish line means "little red-haired one"; the English line names the rowan tree.
Is Rowan a boy's or a girl's name?
Rowan is given to both, appearing in substantial numbers in the birth records for each.
What is the rowan tree associated with?
Protection — rowan wood was hung in barns across Britain and Scandinavia to guard livestock.
How popular is the name Rowan?
In 2025, Rowan was given to 6,452 babies in the United States, ranking #59 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Rowan?
Rowan has 2 syllables.
When was Rowan most popular?
Rowan peaked in 2025, when 6,452 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Rowan?
Rowan is usually shortened to Ro.
Is Rowan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rowan currently ranks #30 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.