My mother and I had a discussion the other day about the name Rowan/Rowen. Neither of us personally knows anyone with the name, or has heard it pronounced by anyone who does. I’ve been assuming a “row your boat” pronunciation, to rhyme with Owen. My mom has been assuming the first part was pronounced as in “ow, I hurt myself,” or as in the word rowdy, or as in Howard.
I tried to search online, and most of the evidence supports the row-your-boat pronunciation—but many places give the “rowdy”-type pronunciation as a second or alternate pronunciation, if not as a first. It’s additionally complicated because rowan and rowen are both nouns, and their pronunciations may or may not apply to the pronunciation of the name.
I’m going to put a poll over to the right, with a variety of answers to cover a variety of circumstances: I’d think we’d want a vote from someone who actually knows an actual Rowen or Rowan to carry more weight than a vote from someone who, like my mom and me, is just assuming a pronunciation. [Poll closed; see results below.]
Poll results for “How Do You Pronounce the Name Rowan?” (506 votes total):
I know someone; it’s like Owen – 255 votes (50%)
I know someone; it’s like rowdy – 2 votes (0%)
I know at least once pronounced each way – 1 vote (0%)
I don’t know someone; I thought it was like Owen – 245 votes (48%)
I don’t know someone; I thought it was like rowdy – 3 votes (1%)
In the books by Anne McCaffrey featuring a character with that name, it’s pronounced like Owen, or at least the reader of the audios did.
I have a friend whose maiden name was Rowan, and she named her daughter Rowan. Her name rhymes with Owen.
Semi-related and always comes to mind when I think of Rowan: I know a family who named their son Rohan… Dad was a big “Lord of the Rings” fan, so it was after the Riders of Rohan – they actually included a map of Middle Earth in their birth announcement. They pronounced it either Ro-han or more like Row-hen.
I know many, many Rowans as It’s a popular name in my area. They are all pronounced Row as in row your boat. This is true for both boys and girls.
Rowan Atkinson is RO as in row your boat. I’ve never heard anything resembling OW.
I’m from Scotland, and over here I would say it depends on whether it’s a boy or a girl. If it’s a girl. then ROW-an, like the tree. (I always thought that this was where the girls name came from in the first place?!) If it’s a boy then RO-an, like Rowan Atkinson.
I know a Roan (no W) and it’s pronounced like Owen. (I made sure to clarify when I first found out his name so I wouldn’t be pronouncing it wrong!)
I’ve mostly heard it pronounced “like Owen with an ‘r'” but I’ve also heard it pronounced Row(as in, row the boat)-ahn. I think the latter is a pretty unusual pronunciation.
My husband’s middle name is Rowan and he pronounces it like Owen.
My daughter’s middle name is Rowan and we have a friend with a daughter named Rowan. Bothe are pronounced like Owen with an R.
I’m a Rowan (named for a family surname) and it’s like rowing — rowin’.
My cousin’s baby boy is Rowen, and my friend’s 3-year-old girl is Rowan, both pronounced to rhyme with Owen.
The neighbours who live behind my parents house have a son named Rowen, and it’s like Owen-with-an-R.
I was going to ask about the name “Roan”. I see another commenter mentioned it! I wasn’t sure if that was pronounced the same as Rowen (Ro-an) or like “Rone” (rhymes with roam, but with an n?). Maybe it can be either way?
Rowan – like rowing your boat, like Owen with an R. That’s how Rowan Atkinson and Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) pronounce their names.
I don’t know anyone with the name but I couldn’t vote on the poll because when I see Rowen, I pronounce like Owen and when I see Rowan, I pronounce like Ow.
A rowan is a kind of tree! It rhymes with Owen.
Yes, lots in our area and always Owen-with-an-R. That’s the traditional pronunciation as well. Rohan is another name all together, which is why it has a different pronunciation. If you want the “rowdy” sound, I would look at alternate names since you will be endlessly correcting people!
Owen with an ‘R’ for sure. I grew up with several Rowan’s, as it is quite popular where I live, and I have only ever heard it pronounced like this.
The only time I’ve heard the name is in movies/television.
A character in October Road is named Owen Rowan and it rhymed.
I think it’s one of those names that it depends where you live as to how it’s pronounced.
My daughters name is Rowen, it’s like Owen. I did not spell it RowAn because people say RoAnne instead of the way it is meant to be prOnounced. Hope this helps :)
But what if you pronounced it Rowan, as in ro-anne?
Personally I think that would make a very pretty name.
My husband is from irish descent and he pronounces it ROW-an… like ow. It comes from the tree which is also pronounced this way.
I am Mike Rowan. My family uses 2 pronunciations’ of the name. Either Row-uhn or Row-An For a while I had the online name of Micro One If I am trying to make sure someone spells my name the way I do I alway say Mike ROW AN with the last syllable sound like the name Ann.