Owen Boy

Popularity: #31 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: OH-en /ˈoʊ.ən/

Origin: Irish; Welsh

Meaning: Irish: 'noble'; Welsh: 'young warrior'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Owen has its roots in the Welsh language, derived from the Old Welsh name "Owain," which is believed to mean "noble" or "young warrior." The name can also be linked to the Latin "Eugenius," which translates to "well-born" or "noble." The transition into English occurred through the Norman influence in Wales and England, particularly after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Welsh names began to be adopted into English vernacular. Historically, the name Owen is associated with several notable figures, including Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh nobleman and the last native Welshman to hold the title of Prince of Wales, who led a significant revolt against English rule in the early 15th century.

The name appears in various medieval texts and chronicles, signifying its importance in Welsh culture and history. Additionally, it is found in the works of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, where it is linked to legendary figures in Welsh folklore.

Culturally, Owen has been embraced in literature and the arts, often symbolizing strength and nobility. The name has been borne by various saints, including Saint Owen, a lesser-known figure in the Christian tradition, which further solidified its presence in religious contexts.

The diminutive form "Ollie" has also emerged, though it is less historically significant. Overall, the name Owen has maintained a strong cultural resonance, reflecting themes of valor and heritage throughout its history.

Famous people named Owen

In this section, you will find notable people named Owen. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Owen who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Owen who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Owen Wilson is an actor best known for Wedding Crashers, Midnight in Paris, and Cars.

Owen Hart was a professional wrestler best known for his time in WWE and his legacy in the wrestling industry.

Owen Pallett is a musician and composer best known for his work with the band Final Fantasy and collaborations with various artists.

Owen Benjamin is a comedian and actor best known for his stand-up specials and his role in the sitcom Sullivan & Son.

Owen Teague is an actor best known for his roles in It, The Stand, and The Edge of Seventeen.

Fictional characters named Owen

The following list of fictional characters named Owen is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Owen Grady is a fictional character from the film series Jurassic World. He is a dinosaur trainer and behaviorist who plays a crucial role in managing the dinosaurs on the island.

Owen Burnett is a fictional character from the animated television series Gargoyles. He is the human guise of the character Puck and serves as a loyal assistant to the protagonist.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Owen, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EthanAidanLiamNoahRyanCaleb

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Owen. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EwanOrenIvanOmarOrinOlinAlvinGavin

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Owen was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Owen has ranked as high as #38 nationally, which occurred in 2016, and has been most popular in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Owen has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Owen is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Owen was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Owen.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 7,223 7,190 33
2024 7,620 7,599 21
2023 8,045 8,015 30
2022 8,615 8,589 26
2021 8,809 8,770 39
2020 8,694 8,669 25
2019 9,374 9,347 27
2018 9,362 9,337 25
2017 9,393 9,363 30
2016 10,331 10,305 26
2015 9,626 9,608 18
2014 9,182 9,159 23
2013 8,781 8,766 15
2012 8,715 8,695 20
2011 8,359 8,341 18
2010 8,187 8,177 10
2009 8,156 8,142 14
2008 7,827 7,802 25
2007 8,260 8,247 13
2006 8,184 8,173 11
2005 7,190 7,169 21
2004 6,735 6,707 28
2003 5,715 5,701 14
2002 4,201 4,190 11
2001 3,032 3,032 0
2000 2,722 2,715 7
1999 2,383 2,377 6
1998 1,880 1,872 8
1997 1,374 1,368 6
1996 1,005 1,005 0
1995 707 701 6
1994 490 490 0
1993 457 457 0
1992 453 453 0
1991 461 455 6
1990 480 480 0
1989 438 438 0
1988 467 467 0
1987 461 461 0
1986 408 408 0
1985 418 412 6
1984 399 399 0
1983 363 357 6
1982 382 376 6
1981 381 381 0
1980 351 351 0
1979 371 371 0
1978 276 271 5
1977 324 324 0
1976 277 277 0
1975 298 298 0
1974 337 337 0
1973 343 337 6
1972 316 316 0
1971 248 248 0
1970 244 238 6
1969 274 274 0
1968 221 215 6
1967 228 228 0
1966 264 264 0
1965 273 273 0
1964 293 293 0
1963 280 280 0
1962 350 350 0
1961 353 353 0
1960 386 386 0
1959 385 385 0
1958 370 370 0
1957 411 406 5
1956 400 400 0
1955 347 347 0
1954 402 402 0
1953 414 414 0
1952 455 455 0
1951 377 377 0
1950 395 389 6
1949 369 369 0
1948 386 386 0
1947 406 406 0
1946 392 392 0
1945 369 369 0
1944 392 392 0
1943 418 418 0
1942 415 415 0
1941 412 412 0
1940 363 363 0
1939 383 383 0
1938 412 406 6
1937 412 412 0
1936 385 385 0
1935 411 411 0
1934 435 435 0
1933 440 440 0
1932 444 444 0
1931 461 456 5
1930 521 513 8
1929 535 526 9
1928 505 505 0
1927 552 552 0
1926 559 554 5
1925 582 582 0
1924 634 634 0
1923 592 587 5
1922 632 632 0
1921 703 703 0
1920 598 598 0
1919 556 556 0
1918 599 591 8
1917 495 489 6
1916 493 488 5
1915 484 479 5
1914 356 356 0
1913 293 293 0
1912 265 265 0
1911 156 156 0
1910 118 118 0
1909 90 90 0
1908 105 105 0
1907 104 104 0
1906 82 82 0
1905 89 89 0
1904 71 71 0
1903 83 83 0
1902 63 63 0
1901 80 80 0
1900 93 93 0
1899 66 66 0
1898 64 64 0
1897 70 70 0
1896 83 83 0
1895 75 75 0
1894 80 80 0
1893 80 80 0
1892 102 102 0
1891 73 73 0
1890 68 68 0
1889 75 75 0
1888 98 98 0
1887 68 68 0
1886 83 83 0
1885 70 70 0
1884 91 91 0
1883 63 63 0
1882 65 65 0
1881 67 67 0
1880 78 78 0

Top States for Owen (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 625
8%
TX 544
7%
NY 414
5%
OH 355
5%
FL 345
5%
PA 334
4%
IL 296
4%
MI 277
4%
MA 249
3%
NC 237
3%
MN 214
3%
NJ 213
3%
CO 203
3%
VA 202
3%
IN 201
3%
WI 198
3%
TN 188
2%
GA 180
2%
WA 180
2%
MO 177
2%
UT 130
2%
MD 129
2%
AZ 128
2%
KY 113
1%
IA 113
1%
CT 105
1%
AL 97
1%
OK 94
1%
OR 94
1%
SC 91
1%
LA 88
1%
KS 86
1%
NE 65
1%
NH 57
1%
ID 50
1%
AR 49
1%
NV 48
1%
ME 47
1%
MS 46
1%
WV 46
1%
ND 40
1%
DE 34
0%
MT 33
0%
RI 33
0%
SD 23
0%
DC 22
0%
AK 20
0%
VT 20
0%
NM 18
0%
HI 14
0%
WY 9
0%