A happy Cornish heritage choice with
just a dash of Victorian melodrama.
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Origin: |
Lowenna is a Cornish name derived from the Cornish word lowena "joy, happiness, bliss, cheer." Lowena is the noun form, while lowen (also adopted as a given name) is the verb form meaning "happy, glad, joyful." Lowena dhis (singular) and Lowena dhywgh (plural) are both Cornish greetings, which literally translate as "Joy to you," and are the Cornish equivalent of 'Hello'. |
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Usage: |
Lowenna was adopted as a given name from the Cornish noun in mid 19th century, as part of the Celtic Revival. It was always rare in the 19th century, though records are difficult to pin down. The Birth Index of England and Wales (1838-1900) lists the first Lowena, born in Cornwall, in 1858. This was followed then by two in both the 1870s and 1880s. Lowenna, in this spelling, does not appear on the Index until 1918. Census records, however, give a more varied picture, with Lowen(n)as appearing more frequently, and some having a birth date predating 1858, suggesting that the name was easily mistranscribed. The 1891 census, for instance, lists 39 women with the name Lowena, all born between 1827 and 1890. Curiously, these women were not all born in Cornwall, as a baptism for Lowena Crop in 1837 Lancashire attests to. One of the reasons Lowenna was used across Britain, and not confined to Cornwall and the surrounding counties (like many other Cornish names at that time) may likely have been thanks to the name been given to the character of Rip Van Winkle's daughter in several theatrical adaptations. The original story story of Rip Van Winkle (1819) by American author Washington Irving had no character by the name, but by 1829 a play by John Kerr, based on Irving's story, was being shown successfully across America and featured the renowned actor James Henry Hackett in the title role. This version featured Lowenna in the character list. It is difficult to say when the play was first shown in Britain. Newspaper articles listing adaptation of the play locally date from the 1860s, but it may have been shown earlier. In 1831, New York's Park Theatre made the announcement "To conclude with the popular melodrama of Rip Van Winkle, or the Legend of the Catskill Mountains, altered by Mr. Hackett from a piece written and produced in London, and founded on Washington Irving's well-known tale of that name,"* indicating that John Kerr's version may have been based on an anonymous 1828 play coined in London.* It interesting to note that Lowena seems to be the preferred spelling in British 19th century play adaptations, while the American adaptations list Lowenna. Lowen(n)a remained very rare in Britain until the 1960s when it was reclaimed in Cornwall as a Cornish heritage choice. This was a time of Celtic cultural revival and a growth in Cornish nationalism in which several names were coined from Cornish vocabulary. In the 1970s, Lowenna was given to 14 girls, all born in Cornwall, and rose to 35 in the 1980s.
The adjective form Lowen has ranked as a unisex name since 2006, and is marginally more popular for boys than girls. In 2013, Lowenna ranked #2313 (11 births), Lowena ranked #5742 (3 births), Lowen ranked #1920 (11 births) and Lowen ranked #4739 (4 births). Lowenna is an uncommon Celtic heritage choice currently, but has all the right ingredients gain more exposure. Lowenna Murley is a IMG model who is a keen surfer and skater. She's quite the pin-up in the surfing world and, while only 16, she may give the name more exposure in years to come. |
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Famous Bearers: |
Contemporary: * Lowenna Water (b.c.1989), freelance Arts writer and journalist. |
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Variants: |
Lowena, Lowen |
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Pronunciation: |
lō-WEN-ə [key] |
| Possible Diminutives: |
Lo, Wen, Wenna, Lola, Leni, Lena, Enna, Leo, Noa |
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Sibling Names: |
Kerensa Alaia Paloma Celyn Senara Aderyn |
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Name Lists: |
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Thanks to 8boysofsummer for requesting this post.
