Origins of the Owen surname

What does the name Owen mean?

Owen is a surname that originated in Wales. It is a patronymic name, referring to those who are the son or descendant of Owen or Owain (a version of the Irish name 'Eogan', and meaning 'well born'). It has been found as early as the 1200s in records, but did not become widespread until the mass adoption of surnames in Wales mandated by King Henry VIII in the 1500s.

Alternative variations of the name Owen

Owen, Owens, Owain, Owan, Owans

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Delve deeper into the Owen family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 507North West 2509Isle of Man 33Yorkshire 1818East Midlands 458West Midlands 3143East 605London 8004South East 1505South West 6231South Wales 872Mid Wales 1463West Wales 113North Wales 6302Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Owens lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

43,000 Owen Travel & migration records
380,000 Owens found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Owen

How common is your surname?

91st most common surname in the UK

We have for the Owen surname. The oldest one dates back to .

Who were Owens most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Owens.

What are the most common Owen first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Owen family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Owens

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Owens in 1921

Dressmaker

1,878

General Servant Domestic

1,175

Domestic Servant

1,143

General Servant

968

House Servant

933

Commmon male occupations for Owens in 1921

Farmer

2,171

Coal Miner

1,683

Agricultural Labourer

1,292

General Labourer

1,237

Joiner

961

We found over 330,000 family trees with the Owen surname

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