Rowan

Rowan is an anglicized version of the Irish male name Rúadhán, from the Gaelic word for “red-haired” or “little red one”. The name was borne by a 6th century Irish saint in County Tipperary who has been venerated as one of Ireland’s Twelve Apostles. Saint Rúadhán gave the prophecy that the Celtic pagan king Diarmait would be killed by the roof-beam of his hall at Tara. The king thus had the beam removed and cast into the sea. Unbeknownst to him, the beam had be retrieved from the sea and placed in the hall of Banbán. While on a circuit of Ireland, Diarmait arrived at the hall where the beam fell on him, killing him, and so Rúadhán’s prophesy is fulfilled. Rowan is an Irish name that denotes certain physical attributes, in this case, red hair. It has mainly been considered a masculine name in Ireland, but Rowan is also used on little girls. The feminine Rowan is usually associated with the Scandinavian word for the attractive Rowan tree with clusters of bright red berries. In this case, Rowan is believed to come from the Old Norse “raudnian” meaning ‘getting red’. Red is obviously the recurring theme with the name Rowan. In Celtic tradition, the rowan tree was revered for its balance between beauty and stamina. It was also honored for its protective qualities symbolized by the tiny five-pointed star at the base of each crimson berry. These berries also attracted songbirds which the Celts saw as an omen of goodwill.