Eowyn was created by J. R. R. Tolkien for the shieldmaiden of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings, who slays the Witch-king with the words "I am no man." He built it from the Old English eoh, "horse", and wyn, "joy", so it means "horse joy" or "delight in horses". The name has grown slowly but steadily among American fantasy fans, from number 2567 in 2015 to number 1471 in 2025, its best rank to date.