Explore the Family Name Owen
The meaning of Owen
1. Welsh: from the personal name Owain, from Latin Eugenius (see Eugene). This Welsh personal name is cognate with Old Irish Eogán, see 2 and 3. 2. Scottish and Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Eoghain ‘son of Eoghan’. See McEwen. 3. Irish: from Ó hEoghain, ‘descendant of Eoghan’. See Ewen.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Owen in the United States?
The surname Owen has seen a slight decline in popularity in the United States between the years of 2000 and 2010. Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, Owen was ranked as the 496th most common surname in 2000 but dropped to 543rd in 2010, a decrease of roughly 9.5%. Despite this slip in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Owen surname rose from 60,461 in 2000 to 61,630 in 2010, an increase of approximately 1.93%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #496 | #543 | -9.48% |
| Count | 60,461 | 61,630 | 1.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 22.41 | 20.89 | -6.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Owen
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Owen, the Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While over 90% of individuals with the surname identified as White in both years, the proportion decreased slightly from 93.36% to 91.78%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races both saw increases, rising by 32.73% and 33.59%, respectively. The most significant growth was among those identifying as Hispanic, which increased by 60.76%. The proportions of individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained steady. Once again, this information is based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.36% | 91.78% | -1.69% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.54% | 60.76% |
| Black | 2.37% | 2.37% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.28% | 1.71% | 33.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.87% | 0.87% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.73% | 32.73% |
Owen ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Owen is British & Irish, which comprises 61.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Scandinavian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.2% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Scandinavian | 3.8% |
| Other | 14.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Owen
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Owen have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
What Owen haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Owen is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Jenkins, Owens, Davis, Roberts, Evans, Richards, Thomas, Morris, Jones, Watkins.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Owen surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Owen have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Owen" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Owen" Surname 29.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Owen" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Owen" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Owen?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Owen are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition