Rowan: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced ROH-un · 2 syllables

Rowan means “little red one; the rowan tree”, from Irish.

Anglicised from the Irish saints' name Ruadhan (“little red one”), or as a surname from O Ruadhain (“descendant of Ruadhan”).

How popular is Rowan?

Rowan was the #59 name in the US in 2025, given to 6,452 babies. It’s rising: up 155% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 2020.

Babies named Rowan in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 2020).

Half of US adults named Rowan are older than 21; most are between 18 and 36. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Rowan have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Rowan means “little red one; the rowan tree”. It comes from Irish.

Rowan is pronounced ROH-un.

Rowan was the #59 name in the US in 2025, given to 6,452 babies. It’s rising: up 155% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 2020.

Half of US adults named Rowan are older than 21. Most are between 18 and 36.