Rowan
Little red-haired one · Gaelic origin
Meaning & origin
Rowan is a male name of Gaelic origin, meaning “Little red-haired one”.
How popular is Rowan?
In England & Wales, Rowan ranked #41 among boys' names in 2024, with 1,246 babies given the name — up from #127 in 2014. That is its best showing in the England & Wales series, which begins in 1996.
In the United States, Rowan was the #113 boys' name in the 2020 data — its best showing in the US series, which samples one year per decade from 1880.
| Year | E&W rank | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #189 | 172 |
| 2000 | #170 | 209 |
| 2005 | #148 | 322 |
| 2010 | #142 | 423 |
| 2015 | #111 | 572 |
| 2020 | #71 | 774 |
| 2024 | #41 | 1,246 |
Famous Rowans
- Rowan Atkinson · English actor, comedian, and screenwriter (born 1955)
- William Rowan Hamilton · Irish mathematician and astronomer (1805-1865)
- Rowan Williams · Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012)