Rhowan
A modern invented name possibly derived from Rowan.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Rhowan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Rhowan today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhowan births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhowan. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rhowan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,765
Tracked since 2022
Gender
Gender distribution for Rhowan
Rhowan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Rhowan as a male name
- Ranked #13,765 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (5 births)
Rhowan as a female name
- Ranked #17,244 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Popularity
Rhowan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhowan 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 Rhowan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhowan
The name Rhowan has its origins in the ancient Celtic language, spoken by various tribes across Europe during the Iron Age. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 5th century BCE, where it appears in several inscriptions and manuscripts from the region now known as modern-day Wales.
Rhowan is believed to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root word "rho," which means "to run" or "to flow." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with rivers, streams, or the concept of movement and fluidity. Variations of the spelling, such as "Rhowen" and "Rhovan," can be found in historical records from different Celtic regions.
In the 7th century CE, the name Rhowan appeared in the Cumbric language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in what is now northern England and southern Scotland. One notable figure bearing this name was Rhowan ap Idwallon, a prince of the ancient Kingdom of Rheged, who lived during the late 6th and early 7th centuries.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Rhowan remained in use among Celtic communities, particularly in Wales and Cornwall. It was during this period that the name gained association with the rowan tree, a species of mountain ash revered in Celtic folklore for its supposed protective properties against evil spirits.
In the 12th century, a Welsh bard named Rhowan ap Gruffydd is recorded as having composed several poems and songs, some of which are still preserved in medieval manuscripts. Another notable bearer of the name was Rhowan ap Hywel, a 14th-century Welsh landowner and military commander who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh Revolt against English rule.
The name Rhowan also found its way into Irish and Scottish Gaelic traditions, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Rowan" or "Roan." In the 16th century, a Scottish chieftain named Rhowan MacGregor is mentioned in historical accounts for his involvement in clan disputes and conflicts with the Crown.
While the name Rhowan has enjoyed enduring popularity within Celtic cultures, it has also been adopted by various other communities around the world, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, its rich historical roots and connections to ancient Celtic traditions remain a significant part of its fascinating heritage.
People
Rhowan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhowan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rhowan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhowan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhowan 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Rhowan a common name?
We classify Rhowan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhowan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhowan was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhowan is about 3 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 Rhowan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rhowan a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Rhowan 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 Rhowan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rhowan 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 Rhowan 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 share the name Rhowan?
Want to know how many Americans are named Rhowan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.