Rowen is a variant of Rowan, which comes from the Irish Ruadhán and means "little red one", a nickname for a red-haired child; it is also the name of the rowan tree with its bright red berries. The -en spelling has gained ground as parents look for a slightly different take on a popular name. Rowen entered the US top 1000 in 2010, reached number 445 in 2024 and ranks number 488 in 2025.