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Boy name · Welsh

Bowen

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: from a surname meaning son of Owain

Bowen is a boy's name that comes from a Welsh surname meaning "son of Owain". It is used in English.

Meaning
From a surname meaning son of Owain
Origin
Welsh
Gender
Boy
US rank
#266 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Bowen

As a boy's name, Bowen comes from a Welsh surname meaning "son of Owain". It is used in English.

Bowen is also a surname: the 423rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 75,672 people. See the most common last names.

Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names

How popular is Bowen?

US rank in 2025
#266
1,292 babies, 756 per million boys
Best rank
#266 in 2025
1,292 babies that year
Babies since 1913
At least 13,187
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 559 per million.
Babies named Bowen per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s5 per million
1920s2 per million
1930s2 per million
1940s3 per million
1950s3 per million
1960s3 per million
1970s6 per million
1980s9 per million
1990s28 per million
2000s64 per million
2010s269 per million
2020s559 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#481#459#429#433#395#368#390#349#321#266

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Bowen

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • BenSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
  • BowieYellow (Scottish Gaelic, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
  • AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
  • AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
  • AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
  • DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
  • GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
  • JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
  • KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)
  • MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
  • NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
  • NolanFrom an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • OwenAnglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius (Welsh, boy)
  • XimenaFeminine of Ximeno, a medieval Spanish name of uncertain meaning (Spanish, girl)
  • AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)

Middle names for Bowen

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • ChaseHunter (English, boy)
  • EzekielGod strengthens (Hebrew, boy)
  • FrancisFrenchman (Latin, boy)
  • MitchellWho is like God? (Hebrew, boy)
  • PeregrineTraveler, pilgrim (Latin, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • QuentinFifth (Latin, boy)
  • ZachariahYahweh remembers (Hebrew, boy)

More boy names from Welsh

  • DylanTide, flow (Welsh, boy)
  • HowellEminent, conspicuous (Welsh, boy)
  • LloydGrey (Welsh, boy)
  • LynnLake (Welsh, unisex)
  • ReeseArdor, enthusiasm (Welsh, unisex)
  • RhysArdor, enthusiasm (Welsh, boy)
  • WynnFair, white, blessed (Welsh, unisex)
  • BedwyrWelsh form of Bedivere, a knight of King Arthur (Welsh, boy)
  • BerwynWhite head (Welsh, boy)
  • BleddynLittle wolf (Welsh, boy)
  • BrynA hill (Welsh, boy)
  • CadellLittle battle (Welsh, boy)
  • CadfaelBattle prince (Welsh, boy)
  • CadfanBattle peak (Welsh, boy)
  • CadocBattle (Welsh, boy)
  • CadwaladrLeader of the battle (Welsh, boy)
  • CaradogAmiable, beloved (Welsh, boy)
  • CarwynBlessed love (Welsh, boy)

Bowen: common questions

What does the name Bowen mean?

Bowen comes from a Welsh surname meaning "son of Owain". Checked against Behind the Name.

Is Bowen a boy or girl name?

Bowen is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 36 girls and 1,292 boys in the US were named Bowen, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Bowen come from?

Bowen comes from a Welsh surname meaning "son of Owain". Today it is used in English.

How popular is the name Bowen?

Bowen ranked #266 in the US in 2025, with 1,292 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Bowen?

Names spelled like Bowen include Ben and Bowie.

What middle names go with Bowen?

Middle names that flow well with Bowen include Chase, Ezekiel, Francis, Mitchell and Peregrine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.