Rowena
Girl name · #4354 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Rowena? In official American birth records, Rowena has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Rowena is currently the #4354 girl name in the United States — 32 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #8931, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 girls born in 2025 was named Rowena.
The 145-year story
Rowena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1917, when 224 girls were named Rowena — good for #429 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Rowena per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rowena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rowena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rowena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Rowena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rowena is most common
State-level data for Rowena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Rowena
Statistically, parents drawn to Rowena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Filomena, Verena, Verna, Bertha, and Delfina.
FilomenaVerenaVernaBerthaDelfinaRhodaLavinaAlta
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rowena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4352 |
| 2024 | 48 | #3277 |
| 2023 | 37 | #3984 |
| 2022 | 39 | #3827 |
| 2021 | 33 | #4245 |
| 2020 | 51 | #3091 |
| 2019 | 28 | #4773 |
| 2018 | 29 | #4662 |
| 2017 | 22 | #5661 |
| 2016 | 19 | #6401 |
| 2015 | 12 | #8931 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8053 |
| 2013 | 11 | #9612 |
| 2012 | 11 | #9711 |
| 2011 | 15 | #7783 |
| 2010 | 7 | #13448 |
| 2009 | 14 | #8454 |
| 2008 | 12 | #9476 |
| 2007 | 10 | #10818 |
| 2006 | 15 | #7868 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6528 |
| 2004 | 14 | #7828 |
| 2003 | 6 | #13844 |
| 2002 | 12 | #8280 |
| 2001 | 11 | #8758 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Rowena?
In official American birth records, the name Rowena first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Rowena a popular girl name?
Rowena ranked #4354 among girls in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #8931.
When was the name Rowena most popular?
Rowena peaked in 1917, when 224 American girls received the name (ranked #429 that year). Since 1917 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rowena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American girls was named Rowena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.