Rowan
Rowan is a traditionally masculine Irish given name and surname, now also in use as a given name for girls. Variants of the name include Roan, Rohan, Ruadhán, and Ruadh. The name comes from the Irish surname Ó Ruadháin and from the word ruadh, meaning "red-haired" or "rusty." When used as a feminine name, it is often in reference to the tree, the name of which has Scandinavian origins.
- Irish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Rowan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rowan is a traditionally masculine Irish given name and surname, now also in use as a given name for girls. Variants of the name include Roan, Rohan, Ruadhán, and Ruadh. The name comes from the Irish surname Ó Ruadháin and from the word ruadh, meaning "red-haired" or "rusty." When used as a feminine name, it is often in reference to the tree, the name of which has Scandinavian origins.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
- English
The Story of Rowan
As a girl name
American parents first put Rowan on the record books as a girl name in 1942, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 1,459 Rowans were born — ranking #211 that year. About 42% of every Rowan on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rowan ranks #265 for girls with 1,216 births, gradually falling (-10%). All told, over 23K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Rowan as a boy name dates back to 1916, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 4,856 newborns named Rowan — #66 in the national rankings. About 53% of every Rowan on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rowan ranks #66 for boys with 4,856 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). All told, over 55K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Rowan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rowan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Rowan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rowan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rowan
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About the name Rowan
Rowan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 55K births in the dataset. Rowan's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #66. Use the chart and map above to compare Rowan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.