Baby Names of Ireland

Owen in Irish: Eoghan

The Irish form of Owen is Eoghan, a boy's name meaning “born of the yew tree.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.

Updated September 2026

How to say Eoghan
O-inTwo syllables, stress on the first
Irish form
Eoghan
Meaning
Born of the yew tree
Gender
Boy
Popularity in Ireland
No. 317 for boys (2025)

How do you say Owen in Irish?

Owen in Irish is Eoghan, pronounced O-in. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.

Hear Owen said aloud, with its meaning (37 seconds, Baby Names of Ireland on YouTube).

What does Eoghan mean?

Eoghan means “born of the yew tree.” Owen is one of the English forms of the name.

Read more about Eoghan: its meaning, origin and stories

In 2025, 13 baby boys in Ireland were named Owen, which made it No. 317 that year. That's down from No. 149 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1978, when 128 baby boys were named Owen, No. 68 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 59 baby boys were given the name.

075150197019801990200020102020128 in 197813 in 2025
Baby boys named Owen each year. Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 (data: table VSA50, boys' names, CC BY 4.0).
See the numbers by year
YearBabiesRank
202513No. 317
202410No. 374
202322No. 215
202221No. 231
202127No. 193
202023No. 211
201928No. 191
201825No. 216
201721No. 244
201625No. 218
201542No. 149
201423No. 237
201339No. 167
201240No. 169
201152No. 136
201061No. 122
200963No. 119
200874No. 103
200759No. 116
200668No. 92
200567No. 95
200467No. 88
200352No. 104
200265No. 84
200167No. 83
200062No. 84
199965No. 85
199855No. 82
199751No. 97
199665No. 86
199560No. 92
199463No. 88
199365No. 91
199258No. 99
199178No. 83
199087No. 79
198981No. 79
198870No. 85
198794No. 75
198690No. 76
1985103No. 71
1984106No. 69
198391No. 76
1982117No. 70
1981102No. 78
1980102No. 78
1979107No. 76
1978128No. 68
1977104No. 73
1976111No. 69
197584No. 87
197492No. 76
1973109No. 72
197289No. 81
197177No. 90
197078No. 81
196992No. 69
196867No. 77
196764No. 80
196669No. 75
196565No. 72
196459No. 71

Eoghan in Ogham

Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Eoghan, letter by letter.

᚛ᚓᚑᚌᚆᚐᚅ᚜
  1. EEadhadh, aspen
  2. OOnn, gorse
  3. GGort, ivy
  4. HUath, hawthorn
  5. AAilm, pine
  6. NNion, ash

Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator

Names that go with Owen

Similar names

Questions about Owen

What is Owen in Irish?
The Irish form of Owen is Eoghan, pronounced O-in. Eoghan means “born of the yew tree.”
How do you pronounce Eoghan?
Eoghan is pronounced O-in. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
Is Owen a girl's name or a boy's name?
Owen is a boy's name.
How popular is Owen in Ireland?
In 2025, Owen was No. 317 for boys in Ireland, with 13 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1978, at No. 68.