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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Rowan - a couple of questions.

57 replies

cairnterrier · 26/11/2011 22:22

Rowan - do you think that this is a girl's name, a boy's name or unisex?

Would you pronounce it Roe-an or Row-an (row to rhyme with cow)?

Thanks.

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revoltingpedant · 02/12/2011 22:51

The Scottish word for gutters I think is actually a different word - roan rather than rowan, though might well sound the same depending on your MIL's accent. I'd pronounce roan (for gutter) as a single syllable (ie to rhyme with tone).

Rowan is DD2's middle name and we pronounce it to rhyme with now (also for the tree and the surname). Had never come across it as a male forename till Rowan Atkinson starting appearing on tv and had never heard it pronounced roe-an till then either.

twooter · 02/12/2011 21:43

I'd never heard of gutters being called that! Plus I gave a rowan tree in the garden and she kept going on about getting the rowans fixed and I couldn't work out what she was goingmon aboutk

proudfoot · 02/12/2011 16:29

I say Roe-an. I accept it is unisex but I would generally assume a Rowan was male as my first though and I do prefer it on a boy.

JaneRustle · 02/12/2011 11:38

Lovely name, I'd pronounce as in row, row, row your boat, and unisex but I love it for a girl.

What confusion does it lead to - can't see much of a difficulty copping - "Must get the rowans cleaned" / "I think that rowan is broken"! Or does your MIL talk about her gutters with more affection?

twooter · 02/12/2011 09:47

My mil (scot) calls gutters rowans - lead to some v confused conversations

AlmaWalkingInAWinterWonderland · 02/12/2011 09:41

Roe-an, and I think of it as unisex. I nearly called DS Rowan, and would consider it for a DD.

Trills · 02/12/2011 09:30

There is a RowanMumsnet :)

Trills · 02/12/2011 09:30

Girl

Row as in row your boat, not row as in cow.

acorntree · 02/12/2011 09:27

...or as in Mr.Bean (I can think of a lot of adult men called Rowan and no adult women)

acorntree · 02/12/2011 09:26

I would say row(as in boat) so Rowan like the tree or the archbishop of Canterbury.
I think really a boys name (Rowena is the feminine?) - but personally I think its really pretty and would use it as a girl, named for the tree.

twogirls1more · 02/12/2011 09:21

I love it though would say it's def unisex. I nearly chose it for my DS but wanted something that was most definately masculine.. (already have 3 DD's!) My eldest DD has two female friends called Rowan but it's also widely used as a boys name. :)

Chynah · 01/12/2011 23:17

Roe-an and I've only ever known one and she is now a teenager.

DiscoDaisy · 01/12/2011 22:38

I know 3 female Rowan's all pronounced row like the boat.
2 are English and 1 is Scottish.

Knackerelli · 01/12/2011 22:32

Slept?! Or even spelt, darn autocorrect!

Knackerelli · 01/12/2011 22:31

I'm English and my dd is called Rowan, we say row like the boat. Is an unusual name where we live although now she's at nursery there is a boy called Rowan in her class which is slept and pronounced the same Smile

tabulahrasa · 29/11/2011 18:06

'i would pronounce it roe-an like the tree'

But I pronounce the tree like row as in argument too

CroissantNeuf · 29/11/2011 15:24

Boys name.
Pronounced Roe-an

lizziebennet · 29/11/2011 15:21

Rowan as in argument for a girl, Rowan as in boat for a boy.

I'm Scottish

thisisyesterday · 29/11/2011 14:32

its a unisex name surely? I know a couple of boys called rowan, no girls though

i would pronounce it roe-an like the tree

massistar · 29/11/2011 14:28

Row-an (rhymes with cow) as in the tree, I'd say for a girl spelt like that and I'm Scottish. I know a little boy called Roan and a Rohan both pronounced Row as in row your boat.

minipie · 29/11/2011 13:53

Row(boat)an. Lovely name. (But not keen on Row(rhymes with cow)an at all).

I'd think a boy first of all, but wouldn't be surprised if it was a girl iyswim.

Am English.

Ihavewelliesbutitssunny · 28/11/2011 14:15

I would see it as uni-sex but more male than female. Would consider Rowena as the female version. Would pronounce it Roe an.

flowery · 28/11/2011 14:06

DS1 is Rowan, as in boat, we are English.

I also used to know a woman called Rowan, pronounced the same, so definitely unisex. Becoming more popular I think but DS1 is 4.5 and we've yet to come across another one.

GibberingGinger · 28/11/2011 14:01

I'm Scottish and would consider it a girl's name and pronouce it Row - an (like cow or now) I know 3, all of which are girls, and all pronouced Row-an. One 50ish, one 36 and one 2 years old.

However due to Rowan Williams and Rowan Atkinson I probably use the Roe-an pronouciation for a boy.

BuntyPenfold · 28/11/2011 09:20

I am English, I have a Rowan DD, pronounced Row- as in rowboat.
I used to play with a little Scottish girl, that is where I heard the name. She was definitely a Scot, and her name was pronounced as some people are saying is the English way.
So confusing.
Anyway, this was 1979 and we had never heard of R Atkinson, and there was a different archbishop too.
We only knew 2 Rowans, the little Scots friend and my DD, for years. Then it became more popular, we now know several Rowans, all girls, and one male Rowan toddler.

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