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    The first name Owen

    A boy’s name from Welsh.

    Pronounced /ˈoʊɪn/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Welsh origin

    From various origins. See below

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 298 boys were named Owen, making it the 170th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2002, with 2,349 births (#31).

    01,5003,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    33,815
    babies named Owen, 1996–2025
    #170
    rank in 2025
    2002
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Owen with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Owen at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 7,190 boys born in the United States were named Owen, the 31st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 10,305 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    246,320
    babies named Owen since 1880
    #31
    rank in 2025
    2016
    peak 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 Owen

    71 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Owen Willans Richardson
      British physicist (1879–1959)
    • Owen Wilson
      American actor (born 1968)
    • Owen Chamberlain
      American physicist, 1920–2006
    • Owen Hargreaves
      English association football player, born 1981
    • Owen Arthur
      Barbadian politician (1949-2020)
    • Owen Hart
      Canadian wrestler (1965-1999)
    • Owen D. Young
      American businessman, lawyer, diplomat (1874–1962)
    • Owen K. Garriott
      American electrical engineer and astronaut (1930-2019)
    • John Owen Brennan
      Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013 to 2017
    • Owen Cooper
      English actor (born 2009)
    • Owen Teague
      American actor, born 1998
    • Owen Barfield
      British philosopher, 1898–1997

    More Welsh boys’ names

    All 78 names of Welsh origin

    Questions

    What does the name Owen mean?
    From various origins. See below
    What is the origin of the name Owen?
    From various origins. See below
    How popular is the name Owen?
    In 2025, 298 boys born in England and Wales were named Owen, ranking 170th. Its peak was 2002, with 2,349 births.
    Is Owen a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 246,320 US babies named Owen since 1880 were boys.
    When was Owen most popular?
    2016 in the United States, when 10,305 babies were named Owen, its highest rank at 24th.
    How do you pronounce Owen?
    Owen is /ˈoʊɪn/, 2 syllables.
    Is Owen also a surname?
    Yes. Owen is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.