Owain () is a name of Welsh origin, variously written in

Old Welsh Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...

as Ougein, Eugein, Euguen, Iguein, Ou(u)ein, Eug(u)ein, Yuein, and in

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh (, ) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh (). Literature and history Middle Welsh is ...

as Ewein, Owein, and Ywein. Other variants of the name Owain include Ewein, Iguein, Owein, Ouein, Ywen, Ywein,

Ywain In Arthurian legend, Ywain , also known as Yvain and Owain among other spellings (''Ewaine'', ''Ivain'', ''Ivan'', ''Iwain'', ''Iwein'', ''Uwain'', ''Uwaine'', ''Ywan'', etc.), is a Knight of the Round Table. Tradition often portrays him as t ...

, Yuein, and Yvain. Owain has also been Latinized as ''Oenus''.

Etymology

Osborn Bergin proposed that the name is cognate with

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

''Ugaine'', ''Augaine'', and suggested that the Irish name could be a British loan. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson proposed that the name is a derivation of the Latin ''Eugenius'', (which was more recently accepted by T.J. Morgan).

Julius Pokorny Julius Pokorny (12 June 1887 – 8 April 1970) was an Austrian-Czech linguist and scholar of the Celtic languages and of Celtic studies, particularly of the Irish language, and a supporter of Irish nationalism. He held academic posts in Austrian ...

favored a purely Celtic origin, from Brittonic ''*Ouo-genios''/''*Owi-genjos'', "Born of Sheep", "Sheep kin". Linguists Holger Pedersen and Henry Lewis (who earlier linked the name to Gaulish *Esugenos) determined that both Jackson's and Pokorny's etymologies were phonologically impossible.

Welsh folklore

Welsh folklore Welsh folklore is the collective term for the folklore of the Welsh people. It encompasses topics related to Welsh mythology, Folklore, folk tales, customs, and oral tradition. Welsh folklore is related to Irish folklore, Irish and Scottish folkl ...

, the name ''Owain'' is fabled as the 'son of destiny', with examples such as the medieval Welsh historical figures born in the 14th century,

Owain Lawgoch Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri (, July 1378), commonly known as Owain Lawgoch (, ), was a Welsh soldier who served in Lombardy, France, Alsace, and Switzerland. He led a Free Company fighting for the French against the English in the Hundred Year ...

, and the Prince of Wales Owain Glyndwr.

Popularity

Owain is one of the few Welsh names to be consistently popular over the last 100 years in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

, particularly with the spelling

Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...

(and pronunciation //).

Patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

s include ''Bowen'' (from '' Owain'') and ''Owens''.

People

Pre-modern era

:''Ordered chronologically.'' * Owain Danwyn (, Prince of North Wales, proposed as possible candidate for the "real" King Arthur *

Owain mab Urien Owain mab Urien (Middle Welsh Owein) (died c. 595) was the son of Urien, king of Rheged c. 590, and fought with his father against the Angles of Bernicia. The historical figure of Owain became incorporated into the Arthurian cycle of legends w ...

(died c. 595), son of Urien, King of Rheged. He is remembered as Sir Ywain in Arthurian legend. *

Owain ap Hywel (Glywysing) Owain ap Hywel (died Ford, David. ''Early British Kingdoms'':. Accessed 20 Feb 2013.) was a king of Glywysing and Gwent in southeastern Wales. Owain's father Hywel was king of Glywysing until his death around AD 886. Although the unified kingd ...

(died c. 930), King of Glywysing and Gwent * Owain ap Dyfnwal (fl. 934), King of the Cumbrians *

Owain ap Hywel Dda __NOTOC__ Owain ap Hywel (died ) was king of Deheubarth in south Wales and probably also controlled Powys. Owain was one of the three sons of King Hywel the Good. Upon Hywel's death in 948, Owain, Rhodri, and Edwin divided his lands among the ...

(died c. 988), King of Deheubarth in south Wales and probably also controlled Powys * Owain ap Dyfnwal (died 1015), King of the Cumbrians *

Owain Foel Owain Foel (fl. 1018), also known as Owain Moel, Owain the Bald, Owen the Bald, and Eugenius Calvus, was an eleventh-century King of Strathclyde. He may have been a son of Máel Coluim, son of Dyfnwal ab Owain, two other rulers of the Kingdom ...

(), King of the Cumbrians *

Owain Gwynedd Owain ap Gruffudd ( – 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great () and the first to be styled "Prince of Wales" and th ...

(c. 1100–1170), aka Owain ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd *

Owain Fychan Owain Fychan ap Madog (alternatively ''Owain Vychan ap Madoc''; c. 1125 – 1187) was styled Lord of Mechain, Mechain Is Coed and one of the sons of Madog ap Maredudd. His mother was Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan. Division of the Kingd ...

(c. 1125–1187), ruler of part of Powys *

Owain Cyfeiliog Owain ap Gruffydd (c. 1130–1197) was a prince of the southern part of Powys and a poet. He is usually known as Owain Cyfeiliog to distinguish him from other rulers named Owain, particularly his contemporary, Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, who is ...

(c. 1130–1197), prince of part of Powys and poet *

Owain Goch ap Gruffydd Owain Goch ap Gruffudd (also known as ''Owain Goch'' wain the Red (died 1282) was brother to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Dafydd ap Gruffudd and, for a brief period in the late 1240s and early 1250s, ruler of part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd (in moder ...

(in English, "Owain the Red") (died c. 1280), ruler of part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd *

Owen de la Pole Owen de la Pole (c. 1257 – c. 1293), also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, was the heir presumptive to the Welsh principality of Powys Wenwynwyn until 1283 when it was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury. He became the 1st Lo ...

, also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (c. 1257–c. 1293), lord of Powys *

Owain ap Dafydd Owain ap Dafydd ( – ), potential claimant to the title Prince of Gwynedd, was the younger son of Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the last free ruler of Gwynedd and the self-proclaimed Prince of Wales. Nothing is known of his early life, though it is t ...

(c. 1275–c. 1325), potential claimant to the title Prince of Gwynedd *

(in English "Owain of the Red Hand", also known as Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri) (c. 1330–1378), a claimant to the throne of Wales *

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...

, sometimes anglicised as Owen Glendower (1359–c. 1416), last Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales *

Owen Tudor Sir Owen Tudor (, – 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Background ...

(in Welsh, Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur) (c. 1400–1461), Welsh courtier, the second husband of Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England, and grandfather of King Henry VII of England

Modern era

:''Ordered alphabetically.'' *

Owain Arthur Owain Arthur (born 5 March 1983) is a Welsh actor, who rose to fame playing Francis Henshall in The National Theatre's production of '' One Man, Two Guvnors'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. His early years were spent in Bangor, Wales, filmi ...

(born 1983), Welsh actor * Owain Davies (born 1980), British musician (member of Panchiko) * Owain Daniel Doull (born 1993), Welsh road and track cyclist * Owain Wyn Evans (born 1984), Welsh journalist, broadcaster and television presenter * Owain Hopkins (born 1980), Welsh cricketer * Owain Jones (disambiguation) * Owain Owain (1929–1993), Welsh novelist, short-story writer and poet, one of the founders of the

Welsh Language Society The Welsh Language Society (, also often abbreviated to Cymdeithas yr Iaith or just Cymdeithas in English) is a direct action pressure group in Wales campaigning for the right of Welsh people to use the Welsh language in every aspect of their l ...

* Owain Williams (disambiguation) *

Owain Yeoman Owain Sebastian Yeoman is a Welsh actor, best known for playing CBI Agent Wayne Rigsby in the CBS series ''The Mentalist''. His additional credits include ''The Nine (TV series), The Nine'', ''Kitchen Confidential (TV series), Kitchen Confident ...

(born 1978), Welsh actor

Fictional characters

* Owain, in the role-playing video game ''

Fire Emblem Awakening ''Fire Emblem Awakening'' is a 2012 tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is an installment of the ''Fire Emblem'' series, and the first to be developed for the Nintendo 3 ...

'' * Owain Hughes, minor character in

Gavin & Stacey ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British sitcom created, written by and starring James Corden and Ruth Jones about two families: one from Billericay in Essex, and the other from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. Mathew Horne and ...

whose in-joke is a source of endless speculation.

References

{{given name Welsh masculine given names Welsh-language surnames