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 Glyndwyr
    last Welshman to be Prince of Wales
  • Owain mab Urien
    Welsh prince who became the Arthurian knight Ywain
  • Owain Gwynedd
    King of Gwynedd
  • Owain Foel
    King of Strathclyde
  • Owain ap Dyfnwal
    King of Strathclyde
  • Owain Ddanwyn
    prince of North Wales
  • Owain Sebastian Yeoman
    Welsh actor
  • Owain Tudur Jones
    Welsh footballer
  • Owain Fôn Williams
    Welsh footballer
  • Owain Phyfe
    Welsh musician
  • Owain Owain
    Welsh novelist, short,story writer and poet

Owain in Pop Culture

  • Owain
    character in the video game "Fire Emblem: Awakening"