Owen

OH-en /ˈoʊ.ən/

Boy Welsh ModernTraditional Classic top 100 Stable — holding rank year on year

Meaning of Owen

Root meaning "young warrior; well-born"

Owen is the English form of the Welsh Owain, traditionally derived either from the Welsh oen ('lamb,' but figuratively a young warrior) or from a Brythonic borrowing of Latin Eugenius ('well-born'). Both etymologies have support among Welsh philologists; the name was borne by several medieval Welsh princes including Owain Glyndŵr.

Current popularity of Owen

Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.

RegistryYearRank
United States (SSA)2024#22

Notable bearers of Owen

Owain Glyndŵr; Owen Wilson (actor); Wilfred Owen (poet).

Similar names & variants

Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.

OwainEugeneEvan

Sibling-name suggestions

Names that pair stylistically with Owen — useful as middle names or for siblings.

EthanLiamEllaAvaHazel

About this entry

Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-31