Nameling

Owen

Gender
Boy
Say it
OH-en
Origin
Welsh
UK rank, 2025
#166 for boys
US rank, 2025
#31 for boys

Vintage revival

Owen is a boys' name of Welsh origin. In 2025 it ranked 166th for boys in the UK (357 babies) and 31st for boys in the US (7,190 babies).

What does Owen mean?

Welsh: English form of Owain; also used for the Irish Eoghan

The usual English spelling of the Welsh Owain, borne by the 15th-century rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr (Owen Glendower).

More on Wiktionary.

Is Owen a girl's or a boy's name?

Owen is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 357 boys in the UK and 33 girls and 7,190 boys in the US.

How popular is Owen in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#166among boys
Babies in 2025
357about 1 in 840 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 27% in five years
Same name in a class
1.7%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 357 boys in the UK were named Owen, making it the 166th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 125th. Its busiest year was 2002, with 2,540 boys.

2025 had the fewest boys named Owen since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the boys named Owen in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2010, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 446 boys in the UK were given Owen or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #143, up from #166 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 170th in England and Wales, 107th in Scotland and 175th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#94), 1914 (#98), 1924 (#99), 1994 (#99), 2004 (#35) and 2014 (#92).

1996Busiest: 2,540 in 20022025
Owen in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025357#166
2024397#149
2023458#133
2022441#142
2021473#139
2020504#125
2019553#120
2018593#118
2017596#121
2016700#108
2015747#100
2014792#92
2013815#88
2012993#77
20111,112#66
20101,408#57
20091,888#48
20081,801#54
20071,898#44
20062,192#37
20052,226#36
20042,444#35
20032,501#33
20022,540#32
20012,084#38
20001,705#45
19992,431#36
19982,078#42
1997934#77
1996598#97

How popular is Owen in the US?

Rank in 2025
#31among boys
Babies in 2025
7,190about 1 in 240 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 17% in five years
Same name in a class
5.7%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 7,190 boys in the US were named Owen, making it the 31st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 22nd. Its busiest year was 2016, with 10,305 boys. 33 girls were also named Owen in 2025 (4,264th for girls).

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Owen than any year since 2005.

Half of all the boys named Owen in the US since 1880 were born between 2004 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 10,305 in 20162025
Owen in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20257,190#31
20247,599#26
20238,015#20
20228,589#18
20218,770#22
20208,669#22
20199,347#21
20189,337#25
20179,363#28
201610,305#24
20159,608#36
20149,159#36
20138,766#38
20128,695#38
20118,341#44
20108,177#47
20098,142#51
20087,802#58
20078,247#56
20068,173#58
20057,169#60
20046,707#67
20035,701#72
20024,190#94
20013,032#130
20002,715#144
19992,377#153
19981,872#179
19971,368#224
19961,005#277
1995701#350
1994490#453
1993457#460
1992453#473
1991455#462
1990480#452
1989438#448
1988467#417
1987461#404
1986408#428
1985412#422
1984399#413
1983357#437
1982376#431
1981381#429
1980351#442
1979371#412
1978271#489
1977324#441
1976277#474
1975298#466
1974337#427
1973337#427
1972316#446
1971248#518
1970238#523
1969274#460
1968215#514
1967228#496
1966264#472
1965273#470
1964293#464
1963280#474
1962350#428
1961353#424
1960386#404
1959385#405
1958370#406
1957406#382
1956400#370
1955347#386
1954402#360
1953414#340
1952455#325
1951377#352
1950389#340
1949369#351
1948386#341
1947406#339
1946392#324
1945369#308
1944392#303
1943418#300
1942415#298
1941412#285
1940363#294
1939383#283
1938406#274
1937412#267
1936385#276
1935411#268
1934435#259
1933440#249
1932444#256
1931456#251
1930513#245
1929526#236
1928505#250
1927552#238
1926554#238
1925582#227
1924634#213
1923587#223
1922632#205
1921703#195
1920598#217
1919556#221
1918591#211
1917489#223
1916488#219
1915479#216
1914356#225
1913293#216
1912265#209
1911156#194
1910118#214
190990#231
1908105#196
1907104#195
190682#217
190589#196
190471#219
190383#191
190263#226
190180#179
190093#203
189966#200
189864#219
189770#201
189683#196
189575#194
189480#184
189380#180
1892102#157
189173#179
189068#194
188975#180
188898#155
188768#183
188683#168
188570#187
188491#150
188363#185
188265#197
188167#174
188078#168

Names like Owen

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Dylan Kian Aiden Nathan Ethan Ryan Aaron Cameron Logan Benjamin Morgan Luke

Other spellings of Owen

Eoin Eoghan Owyn Owin

Names related to Owen

Wen

More Welsh names

Winnie Maddox Idris Reese Bowen Griffin Rhys Gavin Reece Nia Seren Gwendolyn Winifred Meredith Brynn Eira

Every Welsh name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Owen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/owen, updated 20 October 2026.