Boy name · Welsh
Owen
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin EugeniusOwen is a boy's name that comes from Welsh and means "anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius". It is used in English and Welsh.
- Meaning
- Anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #31 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Owen
As a boy's name, Owen comes from Welsh and means "anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius". It is used in English and Welsh.
Owen is also a surname: the 561st most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 58,962 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Owen?
- US rank in 2025
- #31
- 7,190 babies, 4,209 per million boys
- Best rank
- #18 in 2022
- Most babies: 10,305 in 2016
- Babies since 1880
- At least 245,644
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 692 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 667 per million |
| 1900s | 633 per million |
| 1910s | 568 per million |
| 1920s | 533 per million |
| 1930s | 406 per million |
| 1940s | 263 per million |
| 1950s | 195 per million |
| 1960s | 151 per million |
| 1970s | 183 per million |
| 1980s | 219 per million |
| 1990s | 496 per million |
| 2000s | 3,100 per million |
| 2010s | 4,845 per million |
| 2020s | 4,712 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24 | #28 | #25 | #21 | #22 | #22 | #18 | #20 | #26 | #31 |
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 Owen
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- OrenPine tree (Hebrew, boy)
- OdinFrenzy, inspiration (Old Norse, boy)
- ObedServing, worshipping (Hebrew, boy)
- OceanThe great sea (Greek, unisex)
- OfekHorizon (Hebrew, boy)
- OferFawn (Hebrew, boy)
- OkanArcher (Turkish, boy)
- OlegHoly, blessed (Old Norse, boy)
- OmerSheaf of grain (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- AilaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín (Hawaiian, girl)
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- EdenPossibly delight, pleasure (Hebrew, unisex)
- HesterLatin form of Esther (Hebrew, girl)
- JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)
- JustinFrom Latin Iustinus, derived from Justus, just (Latin, boy)
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
Middle names for Owen
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
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)
- BowenFrom a surname meaning son of Owain (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)
Owen: common questions
What does the name Owen mean?
Owen comes from Welsh and means "anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Owen a boy or girl name?
Owen is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 33 girls and 7,190 boys in the US were named Owen, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Owen come from?
Owen comes from Welsh and means "anglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius". Today it is used in English and Welsh.
How popular is the name Owen?
Owen ranked #31 in the US in 2025, with 7,190 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Owen?
Names spelled like Owen include Oren, Odin, Obed, Ocean and Ofek.
What middle names go with Owen?
Middle names that flow well with Owen include Augustus, Curtis, Francis, Gerald and Josiah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.