Rowan

Scottish and Irish

"rowan tree; little redhead"

Rowan Origin and Meaning

The name Rowan is both a boy's name and a girl's name of Scottish, Irish origin meaning "rowan tree; little redhead".

Rowan is the name of a tree with red berries that's commonly found in Scotland (and said to ward off witches). Some scholars say this name has been used for girls as well as boys since the Middle Ages, though no Rowans are found outside literature until modern times. It's also a genial Irish surname choice, especially for a redhead – girl or boy.

In the U.S., Rowan was almost unheard of as a girls’ name before Brooke Shields chose it for her daughter in 2003 – the year that it entered the Top 1000. Now popular for both sexes, there's about one girl named Rowan for every two boys.

Rowan Mayfair is a powerful witch in the Anne Rice novel The Witching Hour.

Rowan Popularity

• 276 US 2022
• 452 Nameberry 2023
• 167 Future 2028
• 426 England 2021
• 96 Scotland 2022