| Owen | Evan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Young warrior, well-born | God is gracious |
| Origin | Welsh | welsh |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | OH-en | EV-uhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2016 (10,305) | 2007 (10,295) |
| In 2025 | 7,190 | 2,412 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Owen | Evan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48,832 | 17,014 |
| 2010s | 91,098 | 64,762 |
| 2000s | 61,878 | 92,144 |
| 1990s | 9,658 | 59,396 |
| 1980s | 4,050 | 32,484 |
| 1970s | 3,017 | 7,870 |
| 1960s | 2,916 | 5,084 |
| 1950s | 3,945 | 2,989 |
| 1940s | 3,922 | 1,545 |
| 1930s | 4,285 | 1,175 |
| 1920s | 5,873 | 1,511 |
| 1910s | 3,791 | 1,130 |
| 1900s | 860 | 218 |
| 1890s | 761 | 187 |
| 1880s | 758 | 192 |
Owen is a Welsh name, traditionally linked to “young warrior” or “well-born,” and connected to the Latin Eugene. It has been borne by Welsh princes and heroes.
An anglicisation of the Welsh Iefan/Ifan, a form of John, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' A John-root grace name.
Owen is more popular than Evan today: about 7,190 US babies were given the name Owen in 2025, compared with 2,412 named Evan.
Owen means Young warrior, well-born (Welsh origin), while Evan means God is gracious (welsh origin).
In US records, Owen first appears in 1880 and Evan in 1880, so Owen has the longer recorded history.