Rowan

Used for both boys and girlsIrish

Commonly interpreted as 'little red one', and independently used in English for the rowan tree.

Origin: Irish — From 'Ruadhán', a diminutive of 'ruadh' (red).

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1966 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #30 in England and Wales in 2025. See regions.

Rowan: Recorded since 1966, its highest recorded position is #30, reached in 2025.

4registrars recorded it
172times a registrar ranked it
60years from first to last
#30highest recorded position
19groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Rowan's record

England and Wales registered 1,398 births with the name in 2025, its largest count from any one registrar. Names by yearly birth count
3 registrars publish it in more than one category list — an observation about those lists, not about the name. Names published across category lists

ROH-uhn/ˈroʊən/

Compare Rowan Run Name Checker on Rowan

Data Confidence

Evidence: HighCompleteness: CompleteEditorial review: 2026-06-15

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, most expected sections are populated, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-06-15), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (4) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Irish
Meaning: Commonly interpreted as 'little red one', and independently used in English for the rowan tree.
Pronunciation: ROH-uhn
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: modern
Gender usage: Used for both boys and girls
Language family: Irish

Popularity

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#417
1997	#439
1998	#425
1999	#474
2000	#492
2001	#557
2002	#500
2003	#528
2004	#463
2005	#446
2006	#469
2007	#534
2008	#445
2009	#500
2010	#709
2011	#583
2012	#573
2013	#569
2014	#443
2015	#625
2016	#468
2017	#486
2018	#455
2019	#443
2020	#433
2021	#423
2022	#472
2023	#471
2024	#425
2025	#423

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in 55 of the 60 years from 1966 to 2025.

In 2025: #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #423 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1966–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1966
First recorded at #256 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #423 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls

Rowan appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, which has ranked it in 55 years beginning in 1966, and has registered 955 births with the name.

Rowan across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Rowan's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#256 (1966)	#76 (2025)	#76 (2025)	55 of 60	955 (1966–2025)	78 (2025)
England and Wales · Boys	#188 (1996)	#30 (2025)	#30 (2025)	30 of 30	15,769 (1996–2025)	1,398 (2025)
England and Wales · Girls	#417 (1996)	#417 (1996)	#423 (2025)	30 of 30	2,367 (1996–2025)	104 (2021)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#271 (1997)	#54 (2024)	#54 (2024)	27 of 28	408 (1997–2024)	45 (2024)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#677 (2004)	#266 (2025)	#266 (2025)	19 of 22	108 (2004–2025)	16 (2025)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#413 (2007)	#288 (2024)	#288 (2024)	9 of 18	34 (2007–2024)	5 (2017)

Rowan by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Rowan in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	3	1 of 10	3
1970s	57	10 of 10	6
1980s	48	8 of 10	6
1990s	52	10 of 10	5
2000s	165	10 of 10	17
2010s	301	10 of 10	30
2020sbusiest	329	6 of 10	55

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 2020s were its busiest decade — the 6 years of it this list covers, averaging 55 births a year.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Rowan appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1966 and 2025, ranked in 55 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #30, first reached in 2025.

It held a top-100 place in 8 years, 8 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 1,398 births, registered in England and Wales in 2025.

3 registrars publish it in more than one category list, holding a place in each for at least five years — an observation about those lists rather than about the name.

Its record falls into 4 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 3 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 58 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Rowan was ranked #30 in England and Wales · Boys in 2025. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Adam#26
Roman#27
Louie#28
Reuben#29
Edward#31
Lucas#32
Oakley#33
Teddy#34

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Rosy · #1250, 30y
Roux · #541, 17y
Rowen · #577, 30y
Rowena · #245, 54y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Rochelle · #32, 52y
Conan · #24, 54y
Shelley · #37, 53y
Beverley · #40, 56y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Alexis · #30, 41y
Dermot · #30, 60y
Gareth · #30, 62y
Synne · #30, 61y

Rowan and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Rowan without appearing here.

Rowan moved ahead of

Marianne
In 2024 they stood at #504 and #441 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2025 that had become #266 and #885.
Kerry
In 2007 they stood at #534 and #527 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #445 and #972.
Geraldine
In 2017 they stood at #750 and #750 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2018 that had become #411 and #896.
May
In 2024 they stood at #504 and #342 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2025 that had become #266 and #718.

Moved ahead of Rowan

Maddison
In 2007 they stood at #550 and #635 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2008 that had become #862 and #430.
Harper
In 2011 they stood at #583 and #858 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2012 that had become #573 and #284.
Aria
In 2011 they stood at #583 and #615 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2012 that had become #573 and #294.
Ida
In 2014 they stood at #443 and #516 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2015 that had become #625 and #361.

Moved the opposite way to Rowan

Alfred
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 while Alfred went from #159 to #286.
Denis
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 while Denis went from #26 to #232.
Frank
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 while Frank went from #139 to #286.
George
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 while George went from #55 to #112.

Moved the same way as Rowan

Aaron
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 and Aaron from #171 to #71.
Adam
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 and Adam from #229 to #20.
Alexander
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 and Alexander from #114 to #55.
Benjamin
Between 1966 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Rowan went from #256 to #76 and Benjamin from #185 to #83.

Meaning & Origin

Commonly interpreted as 'little red one', and independently used in English for the rowan tree.

VerifiedSource: Namewise editorial team, Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Irish

From 'Ruadhán', a diminutive of 'ruadh' (red).

VerifiedSource: Namewise editorial team, Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Rowan is officially recorded

4 official registrars have recorded Rowan, between 1966 and 2025, in 55 of those 60 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Republic of Ireland	1966–2025	55	#76 in 2025
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#30 in 2025
Northern Ireland	1997–2024	27	#54 in 2024
Scotland	2024	1	#65 in 2024

No registrar recorded it for 3 years after 1966; it appears again in 1970.

Variants

Rowen · spelling
Ruadhán · regional

Similar Names

See full comparison →

Sage0% similar

Both are short, nature-linked unisex names popular with modern parents.

Isla5% similar

Shares Celtic-region roots and nature-adjacent associations.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

Common alternate spellings: Rowen.

Pronunciation

ROH-uhn/ˈroʊən/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

Demonstration dataSource: Namewise editorial team.Confidence: low.

Where Rowan Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Rowan in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

England and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of Ireland

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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Rowan

Rowan at a glance

What stands out in Rowan's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Rowan across 6 official records

Rowan by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Rowan appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Rowan

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Rowan and the names beside it

Rowan moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Rowan

Moved the opposite way to Rowan

Moved the same way as Rowan

Meaning & Origin

Where Rowan is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Rowan Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Rowan at a glance

What stands out in Rowan's record

Rowan across 6 official records

Rowan by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Rowan appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Rowan

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Rowan and the names beside it

Rowan moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Rowan

Moved the opposite way to Rowan

Moved the same way as Rowan