Elowen
A Welsh feminine name meaning "elm tree" or "from the elm tree".
Name Census estimates that about 1,734 living Americans carry the first name Elowen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elowen today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elowen births was 2024 (294 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elowen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Elowen with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Elowen is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 6 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 197,667 Americans
Peak year
2024
294 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#898
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Elowen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elowen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,089 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elowen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elowen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elowens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 32 states and territories. California, Texas, Washington recorded the most babies named Elowen, while Oklahoma, New Jersey, New Hampshire recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elowen
The name Elowen is a relatively modern name that has grown in popularity in recent years, particularly in English-speaking countries. It is a combination of the Welsh name Elen and the English name Owen, reflecting its mixed linguistic roots.
The first part of the name, Elo, is derived from the Welsh name Elen, which has its origins in the ancient Greek name Helen. The name Helen was derived from the Greek word "helene," which means "bright, shining light." It was a popular name in ancient Greece and was borne by the famous Helen of Troy, whose mythological story was immortalized in Homer's Iliad.
The second part of the name, wen, comes from the English name Owen, which has its roots in the Celtic word "ogwyn," meaning "well-born" or "noble." The name Owen has a long history in Wales and was particularly popular among Welsh royalty and nobility.
While the name Elowen is relatively new, it has been embraced by parents seeking unique and meaningful names for their children. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elowen dates back to the late 20th century, when it began appearing in birth records in the United States and other English-speaking countries.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who have borne the name Elowen or its variants. One example is Elowen Ledger (born 1988), an Australian actress and model who is the daughter of the late actor Heath Ledger. Another is Elowen Farr (born 1994), a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician.
In literature, the name Elowen has been used in several works of fiction, including the novel "The Changeling" by Victor LaValle (2017), where it is the name of a character. Additionally, the name has been featured in various fantasy and science fiction works, reflecting its growing popularity in the genre.
While the name Elowen is still relatively uncommon, its unique blend of Welsh and English roots, along with its connection to the concepts of light, nobility, and creative expression, has contributed to its appeal among parents seeking distinctive and meaningful names for their children.
People
Elowen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elowen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elowen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elowen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,734 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elowen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 197,667 US residents.
Is Elowen a common name?
We classify Elowen as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,745 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elowen most popular?
The single biggest year for Elowen was 2024, when 294 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elowen is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Elowen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elowen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elowen in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Elowen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elowen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Elowen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Elowen as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.