Kowen
A masculine name inspired by the Australian Kowen Forest region.
Name Census estimates that about 421 living Americans carry the first name Kowen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kowen today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kowen births was 2024 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kowen. 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
421
~ 1 in 814,143 Americans
Peak year
2024
47 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,763
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Kowen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kowen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 194 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
Kowen 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 Kowen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kowens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas recorded the most babies named Kowen, while Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kowen
The name Kowen is an intriguing one with origins that can be traced back to several ancient cultures and languages. It is believed to have its roots in the Celtic languages, specifically Welsh and Irish, where it was derived from the word "cóen," which translates to "herdsman" or "shepherd." This suggests that the name may have been associated with pastoral communities and those who worked closely with livestock.
In the early medieval period, the name Kowen was particularly prevalent in Wales and parts of Ireland. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Kowen ap Rhys, a Welsh nobleman who lived in the 12th century and was known for his role in defending his lands against Norman invaders.
As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way into Old Norse and Germanic languages, where it was adapted to forms such as "Kóan" and "Köwen." In these cultures, the name may have been associated with concepts of strength, bravery, and warrior-like qualities.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kowen appeared in various religious and historical texts, though its use was primarily confined to certain regions and communities. One notable figure was Kowen of Lindisfarne, an Anglo-Saxon monk who lived in the 7th century and was renowned for his dedication to monastic life and scholarship.
As time progressed, the name Kowen experienced a resurgence in popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly in parts of Europe where Celtic and Norse influences were strong. One prominent individual with this name was Kowen Meredith, a Welsh poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century and contributed significantly to the preservation of Welsh literature and culture.
In more recent centuries, the name Kowen has continued to be used, albeit in a more sporadic and localized manner. Notable individuals include Kowen Fitzpatrick (1819-1892), an Irish-American civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Kowen Anderson (1901-1977), a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings and portraiture.
While the name Kowen may not be as common in modern times, its rich historical tapestry and connections to various cultures and languages make it a fascinating example of how names can carry the echoes of bygone eras and traditions.
People
Kowen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kowen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kowen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kowen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 421 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kowen 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 814,143 US residents.
Is Kowen a common name?
We classify Kowen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 424 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kowen most popular?
The single biggest year for Kowen was 2024, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kowen is about 10 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 Kowen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kowen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kowen 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.
Is Kowen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kowen 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 Kowen 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 Kowen as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.