Owen
Young warrior or well-born · Welsh origin
Meaning & origin
Owen is a male name of Welsh origin, meaning “Young warrior or well-born”.
How popular is Owen?
In England & Wales, Owen ranked #155 among boys' names in 2024, with 332 babies given the name — down from #92 in 2014. Its strongest year in the England & Wales series is 2002, when it reached #31.
In the United States, Owen was the #22 boys' name in the 2020 data — its best showing in the US series, which samples one year per decade from 1880.
The two territories disagree about Owen: #22 in the US against #155 in England & Wales — a markedly more American choice.
| Year | E&W rank | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #100 | 536 |
| 2000 | #47 | 1,497 |
| 2002 | #31 | 2,349 |
| 2005 | #36 | 2,013 |
| 2010 | #59 | 1,238 |
| 2015 | #101 | 621 |
| 2020 | #133 | 418 |
| 2024 | #155 | 332 |
Famous Owens
- Frank Gehry · Canadian and American architect (1929–2025)
- Owen Willans Richardson · British physicist (1879-1959)
- Owen Wilson · American actor (born 1968)