Owen (name)

Owen is usually an anglicised variant of the Welsh personal name Owain. Originally a patronymic, Owen became a fixed surname in Wales beginning with the reign of Henry VIII.[1] Etymologists consider it to originate from Eugene meaning 'noble-born'.[2] According to T. J. Morgan and Prys Morgan in Welsh Surnames: "the name is a derivation of the Latin Eugenis > OW Ou[u]ein, Eug[u]ein ... variously written in MW as Ewein, Owein, Ywein. LL gives the names Euguen, Iguein, Yuein, Ouein. The corresponding form in Irish is Eoghan."[2] Morgan and Morgan note that there are less likely alternative explanations, and agree with Rachel Bromwich that Welsh Owein "is normally latinised as Eugenius", and that both the Welsh and Irish forms are Latin derivatives.[2]

The Welsh name is a cognate and near-homonym of the Irish name Eógan (pronounced /'oːəun/, partially anglicised as Eoghan, as noted by Morgan and Morgan, among other spellings).[3] As such, the given name Owney is usually regarded as a diminutive of either Owen or Eoghan. However, another Irish name, Uaithne (/ˈuənʲə/, meaning 'wood', 'work', 'pillar', or 'harmony') has also sometimes been anglicised as Owney.

Owen can also be an anglicised form of the French name Ouen, as in the case of Ouen of Rouen, metropolitan bishop of Rouen, known in Latin as Audoenus, from Germanic Audwin and Aldwin with French variant form Audoin. The anglicisation of the French digraph ou to ow is common in words such as couard > coward, and Old French poueir > power, tour > tower, etc. Welsh Owain has sometimes been latinised as Audoenus in certain parish registers, through a folk etymology process, because both Owain and Ouen/Audwin have a typical anglicised form of Owen.[2]

A relatively uncommon English surname, Owin, has also sometimes been spelt Owen.

The following notable people have Owen as a surname or first name.

Surname

First name
  • Owen Aspinall (1927–1997), 45th Governor of American Samoa
  • Owen Astrachan (born 1956), Duke University computer scientist
  • Owen Biddle, several people
  • Owen M. Begley (1906–1981), New York politician
  • Owen Bradley (1915–1998), American country music producer
  • Owen Clarke, English musician, member of band Hot Chip
  • Owen Coyle (born 1966), Irish professional football player and current head coach of Houston Dynamo
  • Owen Daniels (born 1982), American professional football player
  • Owen Davis (1874–1956), American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
  • Owen Farrell (born 1991), English rugby union player
  • Owen Franks (born 1987), New Zealand rugby union player
  • Owen Garriott (1930-2019), American Skylab and Space Shuttle astronaut
  • Owen Garvan (born 1988), Irish footballer
  • Owen Hargreaves (born 1981), English footballer
  • Owen Harris (1837–1905), Welsh politician
  • Owen Harris (director), British film and television director
  • Owen Hart (1965–1999), Canadian professional wrestler
  • Owen Hatherley (born 1981), British writer and journalist
  • Owen Husney (born 1947), American music manager and record executive
  • Owen I of Strathclyde, King of Strathclyde
  • Owen Johnson, several people
  • Owen Jones, several people
  • Owen Kelly (born 1977), Australian race car driver
  • Owen King (born 1977), American author
  • Owen Klassen (born 1991), Canadian basketball player
  • Owen Lovejoy (born 1943), American paleoanthropologist and anatomist, member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Owen Nolan (born 1972), Northern Irish hockey player in the NHL
  • Owen Oyston (born 1934), English businessman and convicted rapist
  • Owen Pallett (born 1979), Canadian songwriter and winner of the inaugural Polaris Music Prize
  • Owen Rinehart, American polo player
  • Owen Roberts, several people
  • Owen Roizman (born 1936), American cinematographer
  • Owen Ronald (born 1993), Scottish footballer
  • Owen Rutter (1889–1944), English historian, novelist and travel writer
  • Owen Schmitt (born 1985), American football player
  • Owen Shannon (1879–1918), American baseball player
  • Owen Ray Skelton (1886–1969), American automotive engineer
  • Owen Tudor (c. 1400–1461), Welsh ancestor of the Tudor dynasty
  • Owen Von Richter (born 1975), Canadian medley swimmer
  • Owen Walter (born 1979), Canadian ice hockey defenceman
  • Owen Wilson (born 1968), American actor
  • Owen D. Young (1874–1962), American businessman, lawyer, and diplomat

Fictional characters

Toponyms

Canada

Quebec

  • Anse Owen, Bonne-Espérance, Quebec (Municipality), MRC Gulf of Saint Lawrence, administrative region of Côte-Nord. Geographical data: 51° 21′ 31″; 57° 48′ 04″
  • Owen Lake, Lac-Nilgaut, Quebec (unorganized territory), Pontiac, Outaouais. Geographical data: 46° 14′ 47″; 76° 30′ 50″
  • Owen Lake, La Tuque, Quebec (city), Mauricie. Geographical data: 47° 26′ 03″; 72° 24′ 46″
  • Owen Lake, La Tuque, Quebec (city), Mauricie. Geographical data: 47° 36′ 27″; 73° 44′ 30″
  • Owen River, Degelis Quebec (city), Temiscouata Regional County Municipality, administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent. Coordonnées: 47° 37′ 56″; 68° 30′ 12″
  • Zec Owen (controlled harvesting zone), Lejeune, Quebec (Municipality), Temiscouata Regional County Municipality, administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent. Geographical data: 47° 41′ 00″; 68° 29′ 00″
  • Forêt rare de la Rivière-Owen (Eng.: 'Rare Forest of River Owen'), exceptional forest ecosystem, Dégelis, Quebec (City), MRC Temiscouata Regional County Municipality, administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent. Geographical data: 47° 36′ 30″; 68° 29′ 15″

Ontario

Australia

Tasmania

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See also
  • Bowen (surname)
  • Owens (disambiguation), includes list of people with surname Owens

References
  1. "Patronymic Welsh Surnames".
  2. Morgan, T. J.; Morgan, Prys (1985). "Owain (Owen, Bowen, Ednowain)". Welsh Surnames. University of Wales Press. pp. 172–173.
  3. Ó Corráin, Donnchadh; Maguire, Fidelma (1990) [1981]. Irish Names. pp. 87–88.
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