Owain

Owain is an Old Welsh name, recorded as Ougein, Eugein, and other spellings, and may derive from the Latin name Eugenius, though other theories link it to the Celtic roots *owi- “sheep,” *wesu- “good,” or *awi- “desire” with the Old Welsh suffix gen “born of.” The name belonged to several figures in British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought the Angles, and later inspired Chrétien de Troyes’s Arthurian character Yvain in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion; in Arthurian tradition, Yvain or Owain is usually a Knight of the Round Table, the son of King Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain. Other notable bearers include Owain the Great, a 12th-century king of Gwynedd, and Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of Welsh resistance to English rule.

In 2025, 7 babies were recorded with the name Owain, ranking #9,714 among boys.