Owain

oh-wine
Welsh variation of Eugene
"born of sheep"

Owain Origin and Meaning

The name Owain is a boy's name of French origin meaning "born of sheep".

Owain is much more unusual than its brother name Owen, and feels a little more rugged, a little more adventurous and ancient.

Possibly an Old Welsh form of the Latin Eugenius, or, deriving from other Celtic roots to mean "born of goodness" or "born of sheep" - which might appeal to those who like Shepherd.

Owain once belonged to a Knight of the Round Table and to two significant Welsh rulers, Owain Gwynedd, and Owain Glyndŵr, who resisted English rule.

A more recent bearer is Owain Wyn Evans, a weatherman turned broadcaster and TV presenter. Known for his drag-themed weather forecast on International Drag Day 2017 and his hugely successful charity drumathon, Owain Wyn Evans may have brought the name to more parents' attention, as 2022 saw it return to the UK Top 1000.

Owain Popularity

Famous People Named Owain

  • Owain Glyndwyrlast Welshman to be Prince of Wales
  • Owain mab UrienWelsh prince who became the Arthurian knight Ywain
  • Owain GwyneddKing of Gwynedd
  • Owain FoelKing of Strathclyde
  • Owain ap DyfnwalKing of Strathclyde
  • Owain Ddanwynprince of North Wales
  • Owain Sebastian YeomanWelsh actor
  • Owain Tudur JonesWelsh footballer
  • Owain Fôn WilliamsWelsh footballer
  • Owain PhyfeWelsh musician
  • Owain OwainWelsh novelist, short,story writer and poet

Owain in Pop Culture

  • Owaincharacter in the video game "Fire Emblem: Awakening"