Name of the Week: Rowan

 

 

Origin:

Rowan is a name that derives from several sources: The rowan tree (or 'mountain ash') are small deciduous trees native to the temperate northern hemisphere which bear small red berries. For thousands of years rowans have been regarded as sacred and protective trees against harm or evil. The name Rowan comes from Scandinavian influence -- Norwegian rogn, Danish røn, Swedish rönn -- ultimately from the ancient Norse rėyðni-r. The likely source is the Proto-Indo-European *reudh- "red" in reference to the tree's berries, probably via the Germanic verb *raud-inan "to make red" thanks to the use of the berries and bark to dye cloth.  Rowan is also found as a surname: The English surname Rowan, Rowen, Roan, Rone derive from Rouen in France, brought over to Britain by the Normans.  The Scottish surname derives from places named Roan (Ayr, Berwick, Roxburgh), derived from the Middle English rone "thicket, undergrowth." The Irish surname is an anglicised form of O'Ruadhain, meaning "descendant of Ruadhán." Ruadhán itself (also anglicised as Rowan) derives from the Old Irish ruad "red, red-haired" with the diminutive suffix -án. St. Ruadhán / St. Rowan (d.584) is considered one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland".

Usage:

Rowan has been used as a given name since the 16th century thanks to the adoption of the surname as a given name. As such, it was most used for boys, though there are a handful of examples of it in use for girls, which increased in the 19th century thanks to the use of Rowena.  Data from the 1881 census shows that Rowan, Rowen and Roan were used as given names in the same areas where the corresponding surnames were in the highest use, particularly in Lanarkshire and the surrounding counties in West Scotland.  Births in England and Wales demonstrate the name's rare usage in the 19th century, but surged in use by the 1940s. It was initially predominantly masculine in use, but was used almost as much for girls as boys by the 1970s, sometimes in the feminised form Rowanne.  Registered births per decade in England and Wales: 1840s: 1850s:  1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s:  0 birth 1 birth 1 birth 2 births 3 births 7 births 9 births 10 births 21 births 27 births 121 births 213 births 324 births 543 births Since 1996, Rowan for girls has remained very steady in use in England and Wales, ranking between #450-#700 with 50-100 births per year. For boys, Rowan has been steadily rising in use up the top 200 over in the last two decades, having ranked #188 (172 births) in 1996, reaching #143 (322 births) in 2007, and #127 (502 births) by 2014.  In Scotland, since 1974, Rowan has been more common for girls in general. Initially, up until 1995, more girls were given the name each year, though it often ranked higher for boys due to the wider number of girls' names registered. For example:   Rowan Rowan 1974: 1979:  1983: 1988:  1992: 1996: #271 (4 births) #296 (3 births) #369 (2 births) #295 (4 births) #256 (7 births) #207 (12 births) #444 (4 births) #335 (8 births) #323 (8 births) #511 (4 births) #257 (16 births) #206 (20 births) Since 1997, Rowan has ranked consistently within the top 200, though popularity fluctuates. For boys, usage has been more sporadic, ranging from #364 (9 births) in 2011 to #148 (28 births) in 1998.  In 2015, Rowan for boys ranked #111 (572 births) in England and Wales and #213 (23 births) in Scotland. Rowan for girls ranked #625 (66 births) in E&W and #109 (43 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St. Ruadhán  (d.584), one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland". Contemporary: * Rowan Williams (b. 1950), Archbishop of Canterbury. * Rowan Atkinson (b. 1955), English actor, comedian, and screenwriter. * Rowan Blanchard (b. 2001), American actress. Literature and Other Media: * Rowan Mayfair, principle character in the Mayfair Chronicles by Anne Rice

Variants:

Rowen, Roan, Ruadhán

Pronunciation:

RŌ-ən [key]

Possible diminutives:

Row, Ron

Sibling Names:

Freya     Carys     Autumn     Eloise     Seren     Pippa  Flynn     Noah     Theodore     Finlay     Jasper     Lucas

Name Lists:

Slim Softies  Arboreal Names

 

If you like Rowan you may also like:    Roman, Jowan, Ruben, Asher, Soren, Willem, Dominic, Lachlan, Wesley, Silas

 

Thanks to Sam for requesting this post.