Rowan - a couple of questions.

[cairnterrier]

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.

There is a RowanMumsnet :)

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

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

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?

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.

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

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.