Total births
10,526
Girls' name · since 1880
Rowena
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 10,526 babies named Rowena, peaking in 1917. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3277
- among girls today
- 10,526
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Rowena currently ranks #3277 among girls' names in America, with 10,526 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rowena has been recorded 10,526 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #3277 nationally and more common than 82% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3277 among girls today
- 10,526 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 82% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rowena is currently the #3277 girls' name in America, more common than 82% of girls - 10,526 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3277
- among girls today
- 10,526
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Rowena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3277
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 82% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Rowena was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
224 babies were named Rowena in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Rowena compares
10,526 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Rowena's all-time total is 28x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rowena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,526 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 224 | 48 | 19,840 |
Rowena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rowena splits its recorded history at 1953: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1917 peak of 224 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rowena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#3,277
Active since
1880
Rowena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 224
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rowena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rowena's strongest decade.
1,774 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Rowena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 160
1880s
160 births
- 1890s 354
1890s
354 births
- 1900s 406
1900s
406 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,412 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,774 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,481 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,056 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,268 births
- 1960s
1960s
960 births
- 1970s 566
1970s
566 births
- 1980s 391
1980s
391 births
- 1990s 163
1990s
163 births
- 2000s 127
2000s
127 births
- 2010s 168
2010s
168 births
- 2020s 240
2020s
240 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,774 births (17% of all-time use).
How Rowena compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Rowena's total volume
Rowena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Rowena by state
Where Rowena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 743 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 468 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 415 | 3.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 394 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 313 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 308 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Hawaii | | 299 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 262 | 2.5% |
California share of Rowena's total US births 7.1%
Even split
743 of 10,526 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Rowena appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rowena? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 10,526 babies named Rowena. Today it holds rank #3277 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 224 births.
When was Rowena most popular? ▼
Rowena was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,774 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Rowena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rowena are California (743 births), Texas (468 births), Ohio (415 births).
How long has the name Rowena been used? ▼
Rowena has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rowena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rowan, Rowyn, Rowen, Rowynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rowena's data
- Rowena's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,774 total births); usage has since declined to 240 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rowenas (743 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rowena
Nearby Names Like Rowena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rowena
Rowan Girl
#266 22,225 births
Rowyn Girl
#781 3,326 births
Rowen Girl
#1273 2,647 births
Rowynn Girl
#3748 549 births
Rowe Girl
#5605 185 births
Compare Rowena side by side: Rowena vs Rowan Rowena vs Rowyn Rowena vs Rowen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rowena
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rowena: #3277 Girls' Name - 10,526 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rowena. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rowena draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.