Rowena - pronunciation headaches - #17 by ravenclaw - Girl Names

May 2024 · 7 minute read

I always thought it was [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-WEN-ah, until a year ago, and I find it much prettier than the -ween sound. I usually like the simplest spelling possible, but I would do Rowenna in this case. [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] name :slight_smile:

When I first heard this name (in the movie [name_m]Ivanhoe[/name_m]) it was pronounced ro-WEEN-ah, so I naturally began saying it that way. When I heard ro-WEN-ah on this forum some time later, I immediately switched the way I pronounce it because ro-WEN-ah is just so beautiful! This is a great name choice and I think your pronunciation is legitimate and intuitive enough that it won’t be a big deal.
I would love to see the list of meanings of the name, if you don’t mind sharing it! They sound lovely. :slight_smile:

[name_f]Rowena[/name_f] is always ro-WEN-ah to me unless someone specifies that it’s pronounced ro-WEEN-ah.

Meanings of Rowena:

From Old English Hröðwyn: this gives us both famous/glorious joy and famous/glorious friend
(depending on whether the second syllable is read as wynn [joy] or wine [friend])
It also gives us “fame and happiness” (combining the two word parts, rather than using the first part as an adjective)
From Welsh ron + iwen[/i]: bright/fair/blessed spear
Based on the above: slender and fair
Another possibility based on the Welsh: white dress
Based on ‘rhawn’ in Welsh: horsehair/horse’s mane

I’ve also come across “red-headed, rugged,” which is probably not etymologically correct, but based on the similarity to Irish Rowan (Ruadhán), meaning little red-haired one.

And of course there is the connection to the rowan tree - not etymologically relevant, but I think of the tree whenever I hear the name, and that’s part of why I like it. It grows prolifically where I live and decorates the valley with clouds of bright red berries in the autumn. In folklore, the rowan tree is a symbol of protection against evil, guidance for travelers, and the comforts of home. In Norse mythology, the first woman was said to be made from the rowan tree. The main theme in folklore and mythology is definitely “protection.”

And as a bonus, the meaning of nickname Winnie as given on nameberry as “holy peacemaking, gentle friend,” although this is based on Winnie as a diminutive of Winifred.

Ooh, very cool! Thanks so much for the detailed post on the name’s meanings. What a great name to choose for your daughter!

Personally, I’ve always pronounced it “Row - WEE - Na”. But I do like your version as well.

I’ve always said [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] like [name_u]Owen[/name_u] that happens to have an R and an A attached. But then again, I’m a name fanatic, and I know its origins in [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]. I’d say the double n would make things easier, and since a) it doesn’t butcher the name too much (like, I love [name_f]Roisin[/name_f] but in order to spell it phonetically it’s [name_f]Rosheen[/name_f]) and b) it’s an uncommon name anyways (Unlike [name_f]Emilee[/name_f], your daughter won’t have other [name_f]Rowena[/name_f]'s to compare herself to) I might go with Rowenna.

I would pronounce it Row-ee-nuh just from looking at the name.

[name_f]Rowena[/name_f], to me, is “ro-WEE-na”, or maybe even “ro-WEH-na” depending on where I was… but “ro-WEN-a” would be Rowenna to me.

I would go with Rowenna if I were you. [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] is uncommon enough of a name in the US where I don’t think people will know or care about the difference. I think you’d have [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] fans telling you you’re pronouncing [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] wrong though :wink: And on the flipside, I think [name_u]North[/name_u] Americans are pretty used to “I spelled it like Mykynzigh, but it’s said ma-[name_m]KEN[/name_m]-zee” to I’m sure [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] “row-WEN-a” wouldn’t be as much of a headache.

I pronounce it somewhere between ro-WEH-na and ro-[name_m]WAY[/name_m]-na. [name_m]Just[/name_m] to be clear, you’re not saying the last syllable (nah/nuh) as a short E sound (neh), are you? Because if you are, that’s not intuitive at all.

It’s a gorgeous name; I love the meanings and the combo [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. As for spellings, I like the Rowenna spelling for your pronunciation but I doubt it would help all that much.

I pronounce it [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-ee-nah simply because that is how my moms friends pronounces it and she is the only person I know with that name.
I think it can be the same for you, in that it is such a distinct name you can set the pronunciation and no one would challenge it. It may not be instinctive for everyone, but it is a very logical pronunciation (ie I can clearly see how the spelling relates to the pronunciation and it isn’t unreasonable).

Go for it. Btw, I much prefer [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] to Rowenna.

My name is [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] and I pronounce is [name_f]Ro[/name_f] - wee - nah, and I’ve never heard of or experienced anyone pronouncing it any other way.

geeknamezyo:

I pronounce it somewhere between ro-WEH-na and ro-[name_m]WAY[/name_m]-na. [name_m]Just[/name_m] to be clear, you’re not saying the last syllable (nah/nuh) as a short E sound (neh), are you? Because if you are, that’s not intuitive at all.

It’s a gorgeous name; I love the meanings and the combo [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. As for spellings, I like the Rowenna spelling for your pronunciation but I doubt it would help all that much.

This is pretty much what I was going to say. I prn it the same because I’m used to Italian names in my life, such as [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. I would spell it Rowenna just because I think it would be a tiny bit easier to deal with. I think if you introduced yourself as Rowenna, that prn, most people would write it down that way. On the other hand, if there were to see [name_f]Rowena[/name_f], they would likely assume ro-EE-na. [name_m]Just[/name_m] my two cents.

I don’t know about the US, but I live in the UK and, while it isn’t a common name, nearly everyone pronounces it as
ro-EE-na. This may be due to the character in the [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] books ([name_f]Rowena[/name_f] Ravenclaw) but I think if you spell it Rowenna then people will pronounce it as ro-WEN-a.

Maybe you should change the spelling because ro-WEE-na is THE pronunciation here. [name_m]Trust[/name_m] me, I’ve been correcting people my entire life but I long ago accepted that my pronunciation is not the main one used in the US. If you want to save her the trouble then [name_f]Rowynna[/name_f] maybe your best bet

I’d pronounce [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] as ro-EEN-uh. To get the pronunciation you’re looking for, I’d go with Rowenna. It seems more intuitive to me (row-enn-uh).

is pronounced [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-ween-a in the US to my knowledge. That may be wrong, but it is how it is said, and to expect or require a different pronunciation is not reasonable. Plus your daughter may well prefer (and choose) the way it is pronounced here. I know I would.

I love the name.

The only girl I know said it row-ee-na. I prefer row-enna but I am not sure which is the correct way.

I love this name, but the accepted pronunciation is [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-EEN-a. I can understand why you find [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-WEHN-a prettier and even why, with its relationship to [name_u]Rowen[/name_u]/[name_u]Rowan[/name_u]/[name_u]Owen[/name_u], it might seem to be an accepted alternate pronunciation, but in fact I think it’s not. If I met someone named [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] who pronounced it [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-WEHN-a, I’d think she (or her parents) didn’t know how to pronounce her own name.

I’m sorry, I know this is not the answer you want to hear. And I think if you want to change the pronunciation you can, especially as it’s going to demand an explanation. Definitely spelling the name Rowenna would clarify things, but then, yes, it does seem more like you invented the name.

All this said, I think in the end if you are wed to the name – and it is beautiful – you should just spell it [name_f]Rowena[/name_f], pronounce it [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-WEHN-a, and have your story prepared.

I have always pronounced [name_f]Rowena[/name_f] roe-ehn-ah.

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