Rowene
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the French name Rouen.
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Rowene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rowene today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rowene births was 1928 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rowene. 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
- • The typical person named Rowene is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rowenes were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rowene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1928
11 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1958 SSA rank
#6,832
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Rowene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rowene from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 48 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rowene 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 Rowene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rowene
The name Rowene has its origins in the Old English language and is believed to date back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, circa 5th to 11th centuries AD. It is derived from the Old English words "roe," meaning "roe deer," and "wine," meaning "friend." The name is thought to have been given to individuals who were considered loyal companions or friends, much like the faithful nature of a roe deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rowene can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a variant spelling, "Rowena," suggesting its use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
In the 12th century, the name gained prominence through its association with the legendary figure of Rowena, the daughter of the Saxon leader Hengist. According to the semi-historical account by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his work "Historia Regum Britanniae," Rowena played a significant role in the establishment of the Kingdom of Kent and the eventual conquest of Britain by the Saxons.
During the Middle Ages, the name Rowene saw limited usage, but it experienced a resurgence in popularity during the Victorian era, when the romantic portrayal of the legend of Rowena and its association with the Anglo-Saxon heritage appealed to the sensibilities of the time.
One notable bearer of the name Rowene was Rowene Constance Roberts (1904-1995), a British actress and singer who had a successful career on the West End stage and in films during the 1920s and 1930s. Another prominent figure was Rowene Sayer (1908-1990), an American artist and illustrator known for her contributions to the Walt Disney Company, where she worked as a background painter and inker.
In the literary realm, the name Rowene was used by the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in his short story "The Haunted Mind," published in 1835. The character of Rowene represented a symbol of innocence and purity in the haunting tale.
Rowene Schoenberg (1885-1979), an Austrian-American painter and sculptor, was also a notable bearer of the name. Her works were exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums across Europe and the United States during the early 20th century.
While the name Rowene has endured over centuries, it has remained relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its rich historical ties to the Anglo-Saxon period and its association with the legendary figure of Rowena have contributed to its enduring appeal as a unique and evocative name choice.
People
Rowene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rowene 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
Rowene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rowene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rowene 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Rowene a common name?
We classify Rowene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 142 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rowene most popular?
The single biggest year for Rowene was 1928, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rowene is about 84 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 Rowene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rowene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rowene 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 Rowene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rowene 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 Rowene 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 are named Rowene?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.