FastNamesOwen
Welsh and Celtic name meaning "Anglicized form of Welsh Owain, derived from Celtic *Esugenos ('well-born' or 'born of Esus') or Latin Eugenius ('noble-born').". Ranked 31st for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Owen
Anglicized form of Welsh Owain, derived from Celtic *Esugenos ('well-born' or 'born of Esus') or Latin Eugenius ('noble-born').
Linguistically, Owen is classified under Welsh and Celtic naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "OH-wən".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Owen has been given to a total of 245,644 boys. It has also been given to 676 girls.
Peak year: Owen reached its highest relative share among boys in 2016, when 10,305 babies received the name (5,430 per million births).
All-time best rank: 18th place, first achieved in 2022.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 31st with 7,190 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 36th (up 5 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Owen in the 2010s than in any other decade (91,098 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 758 |
| 1890s | 761 |
| 1900s | 860 |
| 1910s | 3,791 |
| 1920s | 5,873 |
| 1930s | 4,285 |
| 1940s | 3,922 |
| 1950s | 3,945 |
| 1960s | 2,916 |
| 1970s | 3,017 |
| 1980s | 4,050 |
| 1990s | 9,658 |
| 2000s | 61,878 |
| 2010s | 91,098 |
| 2020s | 48,832 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Owen is most common in the US
Accounting for when Owen was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Vermont: 3.0 times the national rate (857 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 2.7 times the national rate (1,913 births since 1910).
- Maine: 2.6 times the national rate (1,951 births since 1910).
- Massachusetts: 1.8 times the national rate (8,611 births since 1910).
- Minnesota: 1.8 times the national rate (7,432 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Owen?
About 223,000 living American boys and men share the name Owen. Additionally, an estimated 610 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Owen is 13 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Owen
Owen is the standard Anglicized rendering of the historic Welsh personal name Owain, one of the most venerable and heroic names in Celtic tradition. Etymologists trace Owain to the Common Brittonic name *Esugenos, uniting the divine theonym Esus (a prominent Celtic god of strength) with genos ('born of' or 'offspring'), or cognate with Latin Eugenius ('well-born', 'noble').
In Welsh history and Arthurian romance, Owain was borne by celebrated heroes including Sir Owain (Ywain), a Knight of the Round Table, and Owain Glyndŵr (c. 1359–c. 1415), the legendary Prince of Wales who led the last major Welsh rebellion against English rule. The Tudor dynasty was founded by Welsh courtier Owen Tudor, whose grandson Henry VII became King of England.
In modern American vital statistics, Owen has experienced a phenomenal multi-decade resurgence. Rising from modest mid-century usage, it climbed rapidly into the national top 100 in 2002 and entered the national top twenty in 2016, welcoming over 9,000 newborn boys per year, cherished for its smooth vowel opening, gentle strength, and deep Celtic lineage.
Notable people named Owen
- Owen Wilson (1968–), American Academy Award-nominated actor and screenwriter
- Owen Tudor (1400–1461), Welsh courtier and grandfather of King Henry VII of England
- Owen Hart (1965–1999), Celebrated Canadian professional wrestler
- Owen Chamberlain (1920–2006), American physicist and Nobel laureate
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 212.
- T. J. Morgan, Prys Morgan. Welsh Surnames (1985), p. 172.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.