Rowena is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rowena means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rowena across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rowena has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rowena is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “fame and joy”. A name of Germanic roots, popularized by the novel Ivanhoe.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 10,526 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 385 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 88 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 198 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 Rowena per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1917 (224/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (45/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1974 (17/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1977 (7/yr).
Rowena has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1917, when it ranked #803 nationally (given to 224 babies that year).
Rowan · Ron · Rene · Rena · Ronny · Rowen · Renae · Roni
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