Rowan (name)

Rowan (/ˈroʊən/) is a traditionally masculine Irish given name and surname, now also in use as a given name for girls.^[1] Variants of the name include Roan,^[2] Rohan, Ruadhán, and Ruadh. The name comes from the Irish surname Ó Ruadháin^[3] and from the word ruadh, meaning "red-haired" or "rusty." When used as a feminine name, it is often in reference to the tree, the name of which has Scandinavian origins.^[4] It is also an Arabic feminine name (روان) referring to a river in Paradise.^[5] The name shares the same roots as the names Raya, Rana, Rania and Rayan.

Rowan

Pronunciation	/ˈroʊən/
Gender	Unisex
Language(s)	English Irish (some variants) Arabic
Other names
See also	Roan Roy Rohan

Notable people with the name include:

Surname

• Andrew Summers Rowan (1857–1943), American army officer
• Archibald Hamilton Rowan (1751–1834), Irish celebrity and founding member of The Dublin Society of United Irishmen
• Athol Rowan (1921–1998), South African cricketer
• Barbara Ann Rowan (1938–2020), American attorney
• Carl Rowan (1925–2000), American journalist and author
• Chad Rowan (1969–2024), Akebono, Hawaiian sumo wrestler
• Sir Charles Rowan (c. 1782 – 1852), officer in the British Army and Commissioner of Police of the (London) Metropolis
• Dan Rowan (1922–1987), American actor and comedian, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
• Dave Rowan (1882–1955), Canadian baseball player
• Dawn Rowan (born 1946), Australian therapist
• Dominic Rowan (born 1970), English actor
• Ellis Rowan (1847–1922), Australian naturalist and illustrator
• Eric Rowan (1909–1993), South African cricketer
• Erick Rowan (born 1981), ring name of American wrestler Joseph Rudd
• Ev Rowan (1902–1956), American football player
• Ford Rowan, American television reporter, and panelist on Meet the Press
• George Rowan, Scottish footballer
• Henry Rowan (1923–2015), American philanthropist and engineer, namesake of Rowan University
• Jenny Rowan (born 1949), New Zealand politician
• John Rowan (disambiguation), several people
• Jonathan Rowan (born 1981), English footballer
• Joseph Rowan (1870–1930), US Representative from New York
• Kelly Rowan (born 1965), Canadian actress and model
• Leslie Rowan (1908–1972), British civil servant and industrialist
• Lou Rowan (1925–2017), Australian cricket umpire
• Louis R. Rowan (1911–1988), American businessman and racehorse owner and breeder
• Matthew Rowan (died 1769), acting governor of North Carolina, 1753–54
• Peter Rowan (born 1942), American bluegrass musician and composer
• Ron Rowan (born 1962), American basketball player
• Sheila Rowan (physicist) (born 1969), British physicist
• Stephen Clegg Rowan (1808–1890), American vice admiral
• William Rowan (1789–1879), British military commander

Given name

• Saint Rowan, Irish abbot of the 6th century and one of the Apostles of Ireland
• Rowan Alexander, Scottish footballer and manager
• Rowan Atkinson (born 1955), English actor, comedian, and screenwriter
• Rowan Barrett (born 1972), Canadian basketball player in Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Rowan Bettjeman, New Zealander YouTuber, actor, director, and producer
• Rowan Blanchard (born 2001), American actress
• Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, American writer
• Rowan Crothers (born 1997), Australian swimmer
• Rowan Cronjé (1937–2014), Rhodesian politician
• Rowan Deacon, English director and filmmaker
• Rowan Ellis, British YouTuber and author
• Rowan Pelling (born 1968), British editrice and columnist
• Rowan Vine (born 1982), English footballer
• Rowan Williams (born 1950), Archbishop of Canterbury
• Rowan Woods, Australian film director
• William Rowan Hamilton (1805–1865), Irish mathematician

Fictional characters

• Rowan, one of the two main protagonists in Fire Emblem Warriors
• Rowan, the main character in Emily Rodda's Rowan of Rin fantasy books
• Rowan Damisch, one of the two main characters in the novel Scythe
• Rowan Khanna, in the mobile game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Rowan LaFontaine, in the film Jason X
• Rowan Mayfair, in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy by Anne Rice
• Rowan Mills, in NBC's The Blacklist
• Rowan Morrison, in 1973 film The Wicker Man

• Rowan North, the main antagonist of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot
• Rowan Omondi, a main character in Alice Oseman's I Was Born for This
• Rowan Theirin (née Guerrin), in Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne by David Gaider
• Rowan Whitethorn, in the Throne of Glass book series by Sarah J. Maas
• Professor Rowan, in the Pokémon franchise
• Lily Rowan, in the Nero Wolfe franchise by Rex Stout
• Rosalie Rowan, in the DC Animated Universe

See also

• Rawan (disambiguation)

References

1. Williams, Alex (18 August 2016). "Is Hayden a Boy or Girl? Both. 'Post-Gender' Baby Names Are on the Rise". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
2. "Roan – meaning of Roan – name Roan". Retrieved 2012-07-19.
3. "Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Rowan". Retrieved 2012-07-19.
4. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
5. "Al-Ahram Weekly | Living | What's in a name?". Archived from the original on 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2012-11-17.