Ewen
Of Gaelic origin meaning "born of the yew tree".
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the first name Ewen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ewen today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ewen births was 2024 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ewen. 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.
People living today
174
~ 1 in 1,969,853 Americans
Peak year
2024
37 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,229
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Ewen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ewen from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 68 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
Ewen 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 Ewen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ewens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ewen
The given name Ewen has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, stemming from the name Eógann, which is derived from the Old Irish words "eu" meaning "well-born" and "gann" meaning "love" or "birth." This name was prevalent in Scotland during the Middle Ages, particularly in the Highlands and Islands regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ewen can be traced back to the 13th century, when Ewen MacDougall, a Scottish nobleman and Lord of Lorn, was documented in historical records. He played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England in the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (c. 1629-1719), a Scottish clan chief and renowned military leader, was a prominent figure who bore the name. He led the Clan Cameron during the Jacobite risings and was known for his loyalty to the Stuart cause.
Another notable individual with the name Ewen was Ewen MacLachlan (c. 1775-1822), a Scottish Gaelic poet and bard from the Isle of Mull. His works, including "Oran an t-Samhraidh" (The Summer Song), celebrated the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic language.
In the 19th century, Ewen Macdonald (1836-1916), a Scottish-Canadian politician and businessman, played a significant role in the development of British Columbia. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and real estate.
Ewen Solon (1903-1968), an American science fiction writer and editor, was another notable bearer of the name. He is best known for his work in the pulp magazine industry and his contributions to the genre of science fiction during the Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s.
While the name Ewen has Scottish Gaelic roots and was more commonly used in Scotland and among Scottish diaspora communities, it has gained recognition worldwide, particularly in literature and historical records, reflecting the cultural influence of the Gaelic tradition.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Ewen
People
Ewen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ewen 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
Ewen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ewen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 174 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ewen 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 1,969,853 US residents.
Is Ewen a common name?
We classify Ewen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 185 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ewen most popular?
The single biggest year for Ewen was 2024, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ewen is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ewen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ewen in the SSA data are male. 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.
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.