Pronunciation advice for Rowan - also girl's name short list

[1morecupofcoffee]

Hi

I'm 39 weeks pg tomorrow so getting a bit worried that we haven't settled on a name for DD2 yet! Our first daughter is called Jessie. The current shortlist (still changing regularly) is:

Rosa
Rowan
Maia
Skye
Clio

We will probably go for Therese for a middle name, and the surname is Fau..... (same as US author William).

Any views on the shortlist (or alternative suggestions) would be very welcome - also, could I take a poll on how you pronounce Rowan:

1. First syllable to rhyme with how/cow, or
2. First syllable to rhyme with low/mow?

I'm from Scotland originally and I'm pretty sure it is usually how/cow there, but where I now live (NZ) low/mow seems to be the way. One more thing - do you see Rowan as more of a girl's name, boy's name, or completely unisex?

Cheers!

I say Rowan as in to row a boat (mow, low, sew). I do think of it as a boys name but yes it's getting very unisex now

I'm Scottish and I say it to rhyme with now and cow...I also say the tree the same way and think of it as a girl's name, it was when I was growing up definitely.

Rowan Therese sounds very like Rowan trees.

I'd say row as in boat too.

Scottish and would say it to rhyme with cow

Rowan like row a boat. I have one, a boy, but I've also known a woman called Rowan, pronounced the same way.

Is it meant to be spelt Clio like the car? Or would you prefer Cleo?

Rowan like the tree (rhymes with cow) i think is a girl.
Rowan rhymes with toe I think is a boy like Rowan atkinson or Rowan Williams.
(I'm scottish).

I would pronounce it as in row your boat, and think it's a unisex name, but prefer it for a girl. Thérèse is a beautiful name - my DD is one, and when pronounced properly doesn't sound anything like "trees"...

As others have said, the tree is definitely Rowan (to rhyme with cow) in Scotland. Ditto the girl's name.

Again in Scotland, the boy's name would originally have been something like Roo-awn or Row-awn (as in row the boat). Means Red-haired or Red (or son of either) as in Rob Roy.

Thanks everyone - interesting about one pronunciation for the girl's version, and the other for the boy's, I had wondered about that.

I hadn't thought of the Rowan Trees possibility! But as Atnelpoe said, Therese doesn't sound like trees when pronounced correctly. There could easily be confusion with Teresa though.

For Clio I prefer the 'i' spelling, as in muse of history rather than car, Renaults are not common over here (the cars are mostly Japanese) so people probably wouldn't make the connection, but if we ever moved back to Europe I agree it might seem a bit of an odd name. I'm not really too keen on that one anymore anyway (either spelling) - was thinking it might sound a bit pretentious.

Rowan, Rosa and Skye are my favourites at the moment (slightly concerned about Skye Fau... sounding a little bit like Guy Fawkes though), though DP is keener on Maia. Any views on which of these to go for would be much appreciated! I think Rowan or Rosa go best with Jessie.

I would think of Rowan as a boys name.

Rowan as in "row the boat" sounds make to me; Rowan as in "cow" / the tree is more unisex although in reality I have only met females.

I like Rosa from your list. Have you considered Meg? I think it goes beautifully with Jessie.

Sounds male, sorry

Yes, Meg is lovely thanks SomeSunny, will suggest to DP. I think I would prefer a name with a two syllable NN possibility though - I suppose you could have Meg with NN Maggie, I also really like Maggie.

Rowan as in 'row the boat ashore' for both sexes in my experience. I've met more male Rowans in my life, but think it has a significant history of being a girl's name too. At the boyish end of the spectrum, but hardly in the league of calling your daughter Michael.

That is interesting I only ever heard of the row the boat version. I have a friend called Rua Roo a which is Gaelic for red and must be the origin of the roo an version. They are both lovely.

The Rowans that I know in real life are both female and pronounced the cow/now way. It does seem that the male version is more roe/toe pronouciation like Rowan Williams.

I think it's a lovely name but possibly not with Therese.

What a fab list! Love Rowan, Rosa and Clio (I prefer the Muse spelling too) Skye and Maia are both nice too, but for me they're not quite up there with the others.

All the Rowans I've met (both genders) have used the low/mow pronunciation (I'm in London). It's one of my favourite names for a girl, but I definitely wouldn't pair it with Therese!

Girl Rowan as in having a 'row' (argument). Boy Rowan as 'roan' as in row boat- that's my experience as a teacher of boys and girls.

Rowan as in row a boat, and it's a girls name.

as in boat

I like it more for girls I think

i know it as both but probably know more boys with it!
I know more Maias than I do Ellas (but not as many Sophie/Sophias)

I also know Rohan who I thought was Rowan for ages because of his parents pronunciation.

Another one for mow/low pronunciation - I've always thought it was Rowan for a boy and Rowena (Ro ee nah) for a girl.