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Owen

Welsh
"young warrior; well-born"
Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Mon Sep 02 2024

Owen Origin and Meaning

The name Owen is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "young warrior; well-born".

Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now at its highest point ever.

Why do so many parents love Owen? It's a classic with a genuine history, yet it's right in step with the modern trend for two-syllable, n-ending boys' names. Owen-like choices with less tradition behind them include Logan, Bowen, and Rowan.

Owen is derived from two names—the Welsh Owain and the Celtic Eoghan. Each are connected to Eugene, which ultimately came from the Greek word eugenes, comprised of the elements eu, meaning good, and genes, "born."

Owen became a Welsh patronymic surname during the Renaissance. The legendary St. Owen was a Benedictine monk who was a follower of St. Chad.

In Ireland, Owen may be spelled Eoin, as in Irish writer Eoin Colfer, and Eoghan. Other similar names include the Scottish Ewan or Euan and the French Ouen.

Owen's popularity now extends beyond English-speaking countries to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

# 19 in the US

Owen Rank in US Top 1000

# 36 on Nameberry

Owen Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Owen Popularity

Famous People Named Owen

  • Owen Cunningham WilsonAmerican actor
  • Owen WisterAmerican novelist
  • Owen BentoAmerican child actor
  • Owen Gerald DanielsAmerican football player
  • Owen MarecicAmerican football player
  • Owen Columba CoyleIrish footballer and manager
  • Owen Lee HargreavesEnglish footballer
  • Owen Andrew FarrellEnglish rugby union player
  • Owen Willans RichardsonBritish physicist and Nobel prize winner
  • Owen James HartCanadian wrestler
  • Owen Chamberlainwinner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
  • Owen KingAmerican novelist; son of novelist Stephen King
  • (John) Owen DanoffAmerican singer; son of Bill Danoff of the Starland Vocal Band
  • Owen JonesBritish political journalist and writer
  • Owen Joseph Klineson of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates
  • Owen Tyler Sussmanson of actress/TV host Ricki Lake
  • Owen Neistatson of YouTuber Casey Neistat
  • Owen James Humphrysson of radio presenters Valerie Sanderson and John Humphrys
  • Owen Parkson of actors Steve Park and Kelly Coffield Pecora
  • Owen Strausser Speer Wyleson of American actor Noah Wyle
  • Owen Berry (b. 2003)son of drummer Bill Berry of R.E.M.
  • Owen Timothy Howardson of actress Darlene Vogel and Mark Howard
  • Owen Leigh Odmark (b. 2009)son of musician Matt Odmark of Jars of Clay
  • Owen James Naughton (b. 2009)son of actress Kelli O'Hara and Greg Naughton
  • Owen Edward Pettit (b. 2009)son of singer George Pettit of Alexisonfire
  • Owen Haining (b. 2010)son of model Michelle Marsh and footballer Will Haining
  • Owen Lee Shook (b. 2015)son of actress Shiri Appleby and Jon Shook
  • Owen Barlett Hubbell (b. 2016)son of actress Heather Morris and Taylor Hubbell
  • Owen Thomas Burnett Rubulotta (b. 2018)son of CNN anchor Erin Burnett and husband David Rubulotta

Owen in Pop Culture

  • Owen Larsthe uncle who raised Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series
  • Dr. Owen Harpercharacter on TV's "Torchwood"
  • Owen Frenchcharacter on TV's "Drop Dead Diva"
  • Dr. Owen Huntcharacter on TV's "Grey's Anatomy"
  • Owen Milgrimcharacter on TV's "Maniac"
  • Owencharacter on animated series in the "Total Drama" series
  • Owen Morellocharacter in the TV series "One Tree Hill"
  • Owen Salingeryoungest child from TV series "Party of Five"
  • Owen Newittcharacter on TV series "Vicar of Dibley"
  • Owen Elliotcharacter on TV series "Nikita"
  • "U.N. Owen Was Her" song from the Touhou games
  • U.N. Owencharacter in Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and personalized version of "Unknown"
  • Owen Thurmancharacter on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
  • "Owen" children's book by Kevin Henkes
  • Owen Gradymain character in film "Jurassic World"
  • Owencharacter in Aphmau's YouTube series "Dreams of Estorra"
  • Owen Shawmain villain in "Fast & Furious 6"
  • Owen Hallcharacter on the TV series "Quantico"
  • Owen Buckley character in novel "The Geography of you and me" by Jennifer E. Smith
  • Owen WilsonHollywood actor turned internet meme
  • Owen Rocksteedthe real name of Rocksteady, the Mutant black rhinoceros, in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Franchise, the name was revealed in the
  • 2016 film "Out of the Shadows"

Owen in Nameberry Blog Posts