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Baby names

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

Original poster

Rowan for a boy?

31 replies

SisterCellophane · 01/08/2020 13:46

I've become suddenly enthusiastic about this name (not sure why, think it might genuinely be because it's such a nice tree...) but my partner thinks it is too girly. I know it's unisex, but in practice do you associate it with a girl or a boy? I always thought it leaned masculine tbh

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FizzyGreenWater · 11/08/2020 18:30

I think of it mainly as a boy's name... but IT IS SO SUPER POPULAR.

I know absolutely reams of them.

Honestly it is the new Noah.

Whatsyourflava · 11/08/2020 17:25

Unisex. I prefer it as a girl name, I know some celebs have used it for their daughters in America so it's shifting to the girl camp over there. Roman for a boy, Rowan for a girl in my head
It's very trendy though these days if that bothers you. I know of quite a few baby Rowans born recently and lots of Romans too (Check the recent Mumsnet thread on "the last 5 babies you know", seems like every other post has a Rowan or Roan, Roman or Rohan etc). Different names of course but they merge together when there's so many of them.

Oriflamme · 11/08/2020 16:40

Perfectly good for a boy and normal in Wales. We considered it for DS but a friend's DD is Rowan and my Welsh nephew was baffled that it could be a girl's name as well as a boy's! (Mind you, I felt like that about Ashley when I was younger, as I’d only ever know male Ashleys and didn’t know it could also be a girl's name…)

chunkyrun · 11/08/2020 16:38

It's a lovely name

spiderlight · 11/08/2020 16:36

If we'd had DS2 he'd have been Rowan. Genuinely lovely name. I always think of it as a male name.

CaptainCallisto · 10/08/2020 13:52

It's my dad's name, so very firmly entrenched in the boy's camp for me, though I do know a female Rowan too (and it very much suits her) so it does genuinely seem to be one of the rare unisex names that actually works equally for both sexes!

Crazypie · 10/08/2020 13:46

I love this name and love the tree! Gorgeous this time of year with all the red berries. it sounds more of a boys name to me as I've only ever known male rowans.

Smile19 · 05/08/2020 20:39

It was on our list for a boy. Ended up with a similar style name. I still LOVE it for either a boy or a girl. I would note was a PP said about the Roman trend if that would annoy you. Congrats and good luck.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 04/08/2020 07:11

The only Rowan I ever knew was male...

RandomTree · 02/08/2020 07:40

I love this name. I do think of it as more of a girl's name though (from reading the Antonia Forest books as a child).

DappledThings · 02/08/2020 07:38

It's a boy's name to me

resm · 02/08/2020 00:04

Sounds more of a boy’s name to me, similar to Ronan. I really like it as it’s soft-sounding, but solid.

ExCwmbranDweller · 02/08/2020 00:01

I know an absolutely gorgeous boy called Rhowan (which is the Welsh version) and have a lovely female friend my age called exactly the same. Until now I hadn't associated the two people of different sexes having the same name so it's a good name in my experience.

Tillygetsit · 01/08/2020 23:57

I love it much more for a boy. It's a solid and masculine name to me. Gorgeous.

emilybrontescorsett · 01/08/2020 21:03

I associate it more as a boys name.

123Dancewithme · 01/08/2020 21:01

I prefer it for a girl.

whichteaareyou · 01/08/2020 16:44

I know one boy Rowan but it's spelt Rohan

Flymetothestars · 01/08/2020 16:40

We did consider it as I like the tree too. We are in England but American friends of ours warned us it was becoming increasingly popular for girls in America and statistic charts and Nameberry US forum confirmed this. Still like it but am glad I didn't use it now due to similarity to Roman and also Rowan is getting extremely popular in its own right. So I think the whole tranche of names Rowan/Roman/Rohan/Roan will date. I know of a LOT of baby Romans but none above the age of 3.

I like the PP idea about using the name for the middle name of a future daughter or son of ours though!

5363738383j · 01/08/2020 15:59

I really like it.

Original poster
SisterCellophane · 01/08/2020 15:14

Ha I like the coat of arms!
Interesting though about Scotland vs England, the only female Rowan I could think off was (Scottisj) Rowan Morrrison from the Wicker Man.
Oddly I don't like Roman with an M. Never heard Rohan used for a white boy, I thought it was an Indian name. Or the country from Lord of the Rings.
I've just become that weird Mum who now wants to name her child after her favourite tree...

OP posts:
TempsPerdu · 01/08/2020 15:10

It’s one of DD’s middle names - love it for a girl (rowans are my favourite tree) but I think it’s one of the few names that is genuinely unisex.

However I agree with the PP who said it’s getting popular, along with Roman/Rohan - we’re now glad we didn’t choose it as a first name for this reason.

Oneandabean · 01/08/2020 14:45

Only ever heard it for a boy, personally I don’t think it’s a girls name at all

daisypond · 01/08/2020 14:36

Apart from the famous Rowans,like Atkinson etc, I only know female Rowans.

Topseyt · 01/08/2020 14:23

I have heard it used for both. It is fairly unisex. The last Rowan I knew was a girl though.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 01/08/2020 14:10

I like Rohan for a boy too Smile

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