unisex name
Rowen
ROH-en
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 12,621
the United States
#486
2025 births
Rowen is a unisex name with two sources. It is a variant of Rowan, the tree name and the Irish Ó Ruadháin from a word for red; and separately an English dialect word for a second crop of hay cut in the same season.
- Rowen is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 892 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,294 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1944.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rowen over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1990s | 125 |
| 2000s | 1,150 |
| 2010s | 4,965 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,571 |
What Rowen means
Rowen usually carries Rowan's meaning — the rowan tree, or little red one from the Irish ruadh. The farming word for an aftermath crop is a genuine English usage but rarely what a family intends.
Where Rowen comes from
Rowen varies Rowan, which has two lines of its own: the tree, from a Scandinavian root and long associated with protection against witchcraft in Scottish and Irish folklore, and the Irish Ó Ruadháin, descendant of Ruadhán, from ruadh, red — the same element in Roy and Rooney. Separately, rowen is an old English and American farming word for a second crop of grass or hay taken from the same field in one season, still used in parts of New England. The name's modern use is unisex and follows Rowan closely; it appears in our records from 1944.
Rowen in use
Rowen charts in six of the seven countries we track and peaked in 2024.
How popular is Rowen?
In 2025, Rowen was given to 772 babies in the United States, ranking #486 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Rowen 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 Rowen
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Rowen also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rowen over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Rowen
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.
Rowen 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
- Rowan
Sibling names for Rowen
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Rowen — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Rowen
What does the name Rowen mean?
Usually the rowan tree, or little red one from the Irish ruadh. It is also an old farming word for a second hay crop.
What is the difference between Rowen and Rowan?
Only the spelling. Rowan is the standard form and carries both the tree and the Irish surname.
Is Rowen a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, and used fairly evenly.
How popular is the name Rowen?
In 2025, Rowen was given to 772 babies in the United States, ranking #486 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Rowen?
Rowen has 2 syllables.
When was Rowen most popular?
Rowen peaked in 2024, when 892 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Rowen?
Rowen is usually shortened to Ro.
Is Rowen a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rowen currently ranks #486 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.