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Baby names

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

Rowan for a girl?

69 replies

countrystumpkin · 17/07/2019 21:21

Can you help with a quick ‘poll’ of if you personally think Rowan is a girl or a boy name? Also do you like it for a girl?

Husband is unsure as he sees it as a boys name - he likes the name itself but feels that she will get lots of comments about it being a male name.

Thoughts? Thanks!

OP posts:
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flowery · 17/07/2019 21:25

DS1 is Rowan, but I think it’s genuinely unisex- I used to know a woman called Rowan and I think it’s lovely either way.

Florencenotflo · 17/07/2019 21:26

I suggested this name to DH earlier for Dd2! He's not keen either, not because of the boy or girl name thing. But I like it. I like names typically used for boys on girls. Or names that can be shortened - Charlotte to Charlie etc.

I like Rowan.

Ginandgingers92 · 17/07/2019 21:29

I've known it for both! I think it's lovely for a girl :)

Dragonblossom · 17/07/2019 21:29

I only know one Rowan who’s a girl. So for me it’s more of a female name.

Slomi · 17/07/2019 21:31

I always thought it was quite a feminine name OP, although I do know a man with the name. I say go for it.

overnightangel · 17/07/2019 21:34

First thing I thought was the girl in ‘The Wicker Man’ (has nightmares)

MaidenMotherCrone · 17/07/2019 21:40

I have a DS Rowan. To me it's a man's name.

MagneticSingularity · 17/07/2019 21:42

Love it for a boy or a girl.

Carpetburns · 17/07/2019 21:42

I'm a teacher and have three Rowans in my class; two boys and one girl. Becoming a very popular name.

BigGlasses · 17/07/2019 21:43

In Scotland it is normally used for a girl and pronounced to rhyme the first syllable with cow. The 3 females I know all use this pronunciation ( ages 40, 42 and 7) . The only males I know are Roman Atkinson and Rowan Williams anthey obviouly pronounce it to rhyme with Roe.

I love it as a girls name

Outsomnia · 17/07/2019 21:44

Try Rowena. To me Rowan is a male name. With due respect to all the confusion nowadays about gender and so on.

CassianAndor · 17/07/2019 21:45

I know of one actual female Rowan (Rowan Pelling, she’s a journalist) and one fictional female Rowan, and 2 real male Rowans (Atkinson and Williams).

As I knew Rowan as a female name first I always initailly consider it a girls name. I think we had it on both our boys and girls lists.

georgialondon · 17/07/2019 21:45

I only associate it with boys. I don't like it as a girl's name at all.

nordstrom · 17/07/2019 21:46

My favourite girls' name, but vetoed by dh.

LauraMontreville · 17/07/2019 21:48

I like it for a girl but only if pronounced Roe-an

wishiwasabettergardener · 17/07/2019 21:48

I only know 1 Rowan and she is a woman. For me it’s definitely a girls name.

MikeUniformMike · 17/07/2019 21:49

Lovely but I prefer it for a boy.
The only downside is that it is unisex.
It looks nice and sounds nice.

Shadow1234 · 17/07/2019 21:57

I prefer it for a girl

MamaOfBothTeams · 17/07/2019 21:58

I think it's lovely for a girl but then my daughter has a unisex name 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tillygetsit · 17/07/2019 22:49

Friends ds is Rowan. He's a little tank so I dont see it as a girls name !

Flooopers · 17/07/2019 22:52

Unisex name I suppose although I associate it more with men. I think it's quite an ugly name though.

Flooopers · 17/07/2019 22:53

And even uglier when the Row part of the name rhymes with plough.

Yuck.

Astronica · 18/07/2019 00:35

It's a unisex name. If I just saw Rowan Surname I would need to ask if they were a boy or girl. I do think it's a lovely name, and being unisex would not put me off it at all.

pallisers · 18/07/2019 00:37

I think it is like Robin - genuinely unisex.

I prefer Rowena myself but Rowen is a lovely name.

Sophronia · 18/07/2019 00:51

It’s one of the only unisex names that I prefer for a girl.

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