NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowen

A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic elements "ro" meaning "red" and "meann" meaning "hill" or "peninsula".

In the 1881 census there were 310 people recorded with the Rowen surname, ranking it #9,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, down from #9,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Rochdale and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowen is 397 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.8%.

1881 census count

310

Ranked #9,488

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

1911

397 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowen had 310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 397 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Rowen surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rowen surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rowen surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rowen over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 177 #11,441
1861 historical 271 #9,193
1881 historical 310 #9,488
1891 historical 358 #9,655
1901 historical 346 #10,516
1911 historical 397 #9,336
1997 modern 286 #13,942
1998 modern 319 #13,330
1999 modern 343 #12,800
2000 modern 321 #13,337
2001 modern 320 #13,143
2002 modern 314 #13,589
2003 modern 318 #13,291
2004 modern 307 #13,685
2005 modern 325 #13,080
2006 modern 329 #13,044
2007 modern 339 #12,896
2008 modern 339 #13,022
2009 modern 344 #13,138
2010 modern 332 #13,745
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 323 #13,780
2013 modern 335 #13,604
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

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Where Rowens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester, St Marylebone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Rochdale, Bradford and Manchester. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 024 Tameside
2 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
3 Bradford 009 Bradford
4 Tameside 026 Tameside
5 Manchester 015 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rowen

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rowen surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rowen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rowen, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Rowen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rowen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Rowen is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rowen is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rowen falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rowen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rowen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rowen

The surname ROWEN originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'rōwan', meaning 'to row' or 'to paddle', suggesting the name may have originally been given to someone who worked as a rower or lived near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ROWEN appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled as 'Rowan'. This document was a survey of landowners and their holdings, indicating that the name was already established in the region by that time.

The name ROWEN has also been found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer, which further solidifies the presence of the name in England during this period.

In the 14th century, the name appears to have been associated with several place names, such as Rouen in Normandy, France, and Rowington in Warwickshire, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

One notable individual bearing the surname ROWEN was Sir John Rowen, a 15th-century English landowner and member of Parliament. He was born around 1420 and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the mid-1400s.

Another historical figure with this surname was Thomas Rowen, a 16th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in Shropshire in 1525 and is best known for his work "A Treatise on the Sacraments", published in 1585.

In the 17th century, the name ROWEN appeared in colonial records in America, suggesting that individuals with this surname had immigrated to the New World. One such individual was William Rowen, who was born in England around 1620 and settled in Massachusetts in the 1640s.

Another notable bearer of the surname ROWEN was Sir George Rowen, a prominent English businessman and philanthropist in the 18th century. He was born in London in 1725 and made his fortune in the textile industry, using his wealth to support various charitable causes.

In the 19th century, the ROWEN surname continued to be found in both England and America. One notable American with this surname was James Rowen, a Civil War veteran and politician from Ohio. He was born in 1835 and served as a Union soldier during the Civil War before entering politics and serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in the 1870s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rowen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowen surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 96 Rowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 96 2.68x
Middlesex 42 1.39x
Yorkshire 26 0.87x
Somerset 22 4.53x
Surrey 14 0.95x
Cumberland 10 3.85x
Warwickshire 10 1.32x
Durham 9 1.00x
Staffordshire 9 0.88x
Lanarkshire 8 0.82x
Aberdeenshire 6 2.15x
Derbyshire 6 1.27x
Midlothian 6 1.49x
Norfolk 6 1.29x
Stirlingshire 6 5.40x
Westmorland 6 9.06x
Cheshire 3 0.45x
Devon 3 0.48x
Glamorgan 3 0.57x
Suffolk 3 0.82x
Ayrshire 2 0.89x
Essex 2 0.34x
Kent 2 0.19x
Northumberland 2 0.45x
Angus 1 0.36x
Berkshire 1 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.52x
Denbighshire 1 0.88x
Flintshire 1 1.23x
Peeblesshire 1 7.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milverton in Somerset leads with 19 Rowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1061.45x.

Place Total Index
Milverton 19 1061.45x
Manchester 15 9.33x
Lambeth 11 4.19x
Liverpool 10 4.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 8.34x
Toxteth Park 9 7.43x
Workington 9 60.57x
Barony 8 3.24x
Kirkdale 8 13.30x
Spotland 8 20.12x
St Clement Danes 8 163.93x
St Marylebone London 8 4.97x
Broughton In Salford 7 21.41x
North Meols 7 19.99x
Birmingham 6 2.37x
Crook 6 2068.97x
Edinburgh Old 6 244.90x
Falkirk 6 23.06x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 15.45x
Salford 6 5.70x
St George In East 6 29.27x
Swaffham 6 159.15x
Bradfield 5 43.44x
St Paul Covent Garden 5 165.56x
York Minster Yard W 5 724.64x
Aston 4 1.91x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 7.04x
Great Bolton 4 8.44x
Ilkeston 4 30.23x
Newhills 4 69.93x
Shoreditch London 4 3.06x
Birkenhead 3 5.66x
Ince In Makerfield 3 18.03x
Leiston 3 119.05x
Manningham 3 8.15x
Over Darwen 3 10.50x
Pendleton In Salford 3 7.04x
St Gilesin Fields 3 170.45x
Swansea Town 3 6.97x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 3.43x
Bishop Auckland 2 16.63x
Bowling 2 6.76x
Bradford 2 2.77x
Derby St Michael 2 202.02x
Hinderwell 2 78.43x
Hunslet 2 4.29x
Keighley 2 6.28x
New Cumnock 2 51.15x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 8.60x
Sandford 2 130.72x
St George Hanover 2 5.08x
St George Martyr 2 39.37x
St Pancras London 2 0.82x
Warrington 2 4.72x
Wigan 2 4.00x
Worplesdon 2 112.99x
All Saints Cambridge 1 74.63x
Burnley 1 3.32x
Carshalton 1 17.79x
Cheriton 1 23.87x
Crumpsall 1 11.86x
Dundee 1 0.96x
East Ham 1 9.06x
Edmonton 1 4.12x
Everton 1 0.88x
Fitzhead 1 370.37x
Glenholm 1 416.67x
Harrow 1 21.69x
Holy Trinity 1 1.39x
Llangollen Bache 1 76.92x
Mold Bistree 1 75.76x
Pilkington 1 7.36x
Potter Newton 1 18.98x
Reading St Mary 1 5.52x
Stonehouse East 1 31.45x
Westoe 1 1.97x
Whitehaven 1 7.23x
Wiveliscombe 1 37.04x
Woolwich 1 2.63x
Worsley 1 4.54x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rowen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 17
Bridget 8
Jane 8
Sarah 8
Ann 7
Ellen 6
Eliza 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Alathea 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lizzie 1
Louie 1
M. 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Robina 1
Rosa 1
Wm. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rowen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 20
William 19
James 14
Thomas 14
Patrick 7
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Michael 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Wm. 3
Charles 2
Dennis 2
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Martin 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Alfd. 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Barnd 1
Bridget 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emmanuel 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Leonard 1
Mical 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Rowen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 310 people were recorded with the Rowen surname. That placed it at #9,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Rowen a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Rowen surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic elements "ro" meaning "red" and "meann" meaning "hill" or "peninsula".

What does the Rowen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rowen bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.