The first name Bowen
A boy’s name meaning “son of owen”.
Pronounced /ˈboʊ.ən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Bowen means “son of owen”.
From Welsh ab Owain (“son of Owen”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 129 boys were named Bowen, making it the 329th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bowen with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Bowen at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,292 boys born in the United States were named Bowen, the 266th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Bowen
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Julie BowenAmerican actress (born 1970)
- Bowen YangChinese-American comedian, born 1990
- Bowen StassforthAmerican swimmer, 1926–2019
- Bowen ByramCanadian ice hockey player, born 2001
- Topper HeadonBritish drummer, born 1954
- Bowe BeckerAmerican swimmer, born 1997
Questions
- What does the name Bowen mean?
- Bowen means “son of owen”.
- How popular is the name Bowen?
- In 2025, 129 boys born in England and Wales were named Bowen, ranking 329th.
- Is Bowen a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 13,513 US babies named Bowen since 1880 were boys.
- When was Bowen most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 1,292 babies were named Bowen, its highest rank at 266th.
- How do you pronounce Bowen?
- Bowen is /ˈboʊ.ən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Bowen also a surname?
- Yes. Bowen is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.