Owen is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Owen means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Owen across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Owen has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Owen is a boy name of Welsh origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, possibly well-born”. a Welsh form linked to Eugene.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 246,320 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 33,431 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,172 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 991 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 4,114 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 484 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Owen per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2016 (10,331/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2002 (2,349/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2009 (219/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1978 (128/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1999 (74/yr).
Owen has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2016, when it ranked #38 nationally (given to 11,056 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2010s.
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