Rowena

Rowena
This rare and interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a metronymic from the female given name Rowena. The name is believed to have derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "Hrothwyn", composed of the elements "hreod", fame, with "wine", friend. The first celebrated bearer was the legendary daughter of the Jutish ruler Hengist, and wife of the 5th Century British chief Vortigern. This is one of a handful of surnames surviving which were derived from the name of the first bearer's mother. This is unusual because European society has been almost invariably patriarchal throughout history, and as a result the given name of the male head of the household has been handed on as a distinguishing surname to successive generations. The few exceptions (for example Catherine and Marguerite) seem to be derived from the names of women who were either widows for the greater part of their adult lives, or else heiresses in their own right. Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include; Anthony Rowen, who married Agnes Webb on April 21st 1588 at St. Dunstan in the East, Stepney; and Elizabeth Rowena, who married Thomas Cook on September 6th 1833 at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry Rowne, which was dated September 26th 1573, marriage to Joane Phenynn at the Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Rowena — was the daughter of the Anglo Saxon leader Hengest and a wife of the Briton High King Vortigern, according to British legend. Described as a beautiful femme fatale, she won her people the Kingdom of Kent through her scheming seduction of… …   Wikipedia

  • Rowena — bezeichnet: einen Vornamen, siehe Rowena (Vorname) mehrere Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Rowena (Colorado) Rowena (Oregon) Rowena (South Dakota) Rowena (Texas) in Australien: Rowena (New South Wales) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rowena — Rowena, OR U.S. Census Designated Place in Oregon Population (2000): 148 Housing Units (2000): 89 Land area (2000): 1.857119 sq. miles (4.809915 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.857119 sq. miles …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Rowena, OR — U.S. Census Designated Place in Oregon Population (2000): 148 Housing Units (2000): 89 Land area (2000): 1.857119 sq. miles (4.809915 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.857119 sq. miles (4.809915… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Rowena — f English: apparently a Latinized form of a Saxon name (of uncertain original form and derivation, perhaps composed of the Germanic elements hrōd fame + wynn joy). It first occurs in the Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Mon mouth (12th century) as …   First names dictionary

  • Rowena — [rō ē′nə] n. [< ? OE * Hrothwina < hroth, fame, akin to OHG hruod (see ROBERT1) + wina, a friend, fem. of wine: see EDWIN] a feminine name …   English World dictionary

  • Rowena — 31°38′50″N 100°02′46″O / 31.64722, 100.04611 Rowena est une communauté située dans le comté du sud ouest du Comt …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rowena — englischer Name, Bedeutungszusammensetzung aus: »Ruhm« und »Freundin«. Bekannt durch Ivanhoes Frau Rowena in Walter Scotts Roman »Ivanhoe« (1820) …   Deutsch namen

  • Rowena (disambiguation) — Rowena is a figure in Geoffrey of Monmouth s Historia Regum Britanniae , the daughter of the Saxon king Hengest and wife of Vortigern.Rowena can also refer to:* Rowena King, actress * Rowena Meeks Abdy (1887 1945), 20th century American painter * …   Wikipedia

  • Rowena, South Dakota — Rowena is an unincorporated community in Minnehaha County, South Dakota along South Dakota State Highway 42.Rowena is located at coord|43|31|13|N|96|33|20|W|, just over a mile north of the border with Iowa, about 5 miles east of Sioux Falls, and… …   Wikipedia

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