Rowan

My last name is Rowan, it is a Gaelic name. My family is from Ireland and Scotland back where this name originated from . It is from a very religious tree called the Rowan, or mountain ash. In my family's history our great parents believed the first woman came from this tree. They also believe that if you hang two twigs over your door in the shape of a cross tied with red thread you will be protected by evil and demonic spirits. There is also another legend of my name and it is once the cross is hung over your door a female fairy named Rowan will protect you from the storm and demons. It will be in a never ending battle. That is why I don't want this name. I feel it describes me- I fight for my people in an invisible battle. Some of you reading this will know to let the others pass by. But this is what the name means. Give it to your offspring and they may or may not join.

In England, the Rowan tree was believed to protect against witchcraft and enchantment.

Rowan in Gealic beliefs is the tree that the first woman was born from. This is a great name for both girl and boy. It's a name for a proctor and healer.

My 13 year old son is named Rowan. We liked that it was also the name of the Mountain Ash tree, which grows everywhere in the UK. He was born in England and dad is English. While not very common, it is not unusual in England at all. I love his name, glad to see it is getting more popular here.

The name "Rowan" is derived from the Old Norse name for the tree, raun or rogn. Linguists believe that the Norse name is ultimately derived from a proto-Germanic word *raudnian meaning "getting red" and which referred to the red foliage and red berries in the autumn. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan)

For boys, Rowan is used with the Gaelic "little red one" meaning and origin behind it. For girls, though, the name came into use because of the tree, and is not in relation to the Gaelic background and English male name, Rowan. At the time (late 1800s), nature and gem names were popular to bestow upon females, thus how this particular name became popularized on the female gender. It is a truly unisex name that sounds quite becoming on either gender.

The name was taken from the Rowan tree.