owens
owens Lexical Profile
• noun
A common surname of Welsh origin, historically functioning as a patronymic.
"Jesse Owens made history by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin."
American A geographical designation referring to features in eastern California, notably the Owens River, Owens Lake, or Owens Valley.
"The diversion of water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles in the early 20th century caused significant environmental and political conflict."
Word Nuance & Usage
Almost exclusively capitalized in standard usage, as it functions as a proper noun (either a surname or geographical designation).
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Welsh given name 'Owain' (thought to stem from the Latin 'Eugenius' meaning well-born), combined with the English patronymic suffix '-s', literally meaning 'son of Owen'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.