Find out how popular the last name Rowen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rowen.

Rowen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rowen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rowen in America

Rowen is the 15355th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rowen surname appeared 1,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rowen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rowen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rowen

The surname ROWEN originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'rōwan', meaning 'to row' or 'to paddle', suggesting the name may have originally been given to someone who worked as a rower or lived near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ROWEN appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled as 'Rowan'. This document was a survey of landowners and their holdings, indicating that the name was already established in the region by that time.

The name ROWEN has also been found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer, which further solidifies the presence of the name in England during this period.

In the 14th century, the name appears to have been associated with several place names, such as Rouen in Normandy, France, and Rowington in Warwickshire, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

One notable individual bearing the surname ROWEN was Sir John Rowen, a 15th-century English landowner and member of Parliament. He was born around 1420 and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the mid-1400s.

Another historical figure with this surname was Thomas Rowen, a 16th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in Shropshire in 1525 and is best known for his work "A Treatise on the Sacraments", published in 1585.

In the 17th century, the name ROWEN appeared in colonial records in America, suggesting that individuals with this surname had immigrated to the New World. One such individual was William Rowen, who was born in England around 1620 and settled in Massachusetts in the 1640s.

Another notable bearer of the surname ROWEN was Sir George Rowen, a prominent English businessman and philanthropist in the 18th century. He was born in London in 1725 and made his fortune in the textile industry, using his wealth to support various charitable causes.

In the 19th century, the ROWEN surname continued to be found in both England and America. One notable American with this surname was James Rowen, a Civil War veteran and politician from Ohio. He was born in 1835 and served as a Union soldier during the Civil War before entering politics and serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in the 1870s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rowen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rowen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rowen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rowen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rowen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rowen, please contact us.

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