Meaning uncertain, possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic name derived from the elements hrod 'fame' and wynn 'joy'. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It was popularized by Sir Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel 'Ivanhoe' (1819). Rowena probably originates in Old English language and means 'fame and delight'. That is more or less just a speculation, though, since the origin is rather unclear. In a British legend, Rowena was an Anglo-Saxon leader's daughter and a beautiful femme fatale. According to contemporary historians, though, the story is fictional. Rowena was also a character in Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.
Rowena Related Names Variants: Rowina, Rhowena, Rowenna, Rowinna, Rowyna, Rowynna
