I used to love the name [name_u]Owen[/name_u], but now it’s insanely popular and that really turns me off. I’ve grown to really love [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] (YOO-in). However, is it doomed to just be seen as the poor man’s [name_u]Owen[/name_u]? Also, is it just too close where it’ll still be confused and/or overshadowed by all the [name_m]Owens[/name_m] he will inevitably run into in his life? If that’s the case, since I’m so turned off by [name_u]Owen[/name_u] because of popularity, I don’t see the point of considering [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] if he’ll just be confused with [name_u]Owen[/name_u] anyway, ya know?
I don’t see [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] as being similar to [name_u]Owen[/name_u]. Totally different pronounciation. Yoo-in is pretty hard to mix up with OO-in, in my opinion!
I also feel like [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] while not being popular is still not a weird/strange name because of [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] [name_m]MacGregor[/name_m] making it a known name.
although I must admit I’ve always pronounced it EW-an.
[name_m]Ah[/name_m] yes, another concern! I don’t want people to think it is pronounced like that! 
I think mispronunciation would be a bigger issue than being confused with [name_u]Owen[/name_u]. I like [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] a lot, though–I greatly prefer it over [name_u]Owen[/name_u]. You could also spell it [name_m]Euan[/name_m].
I think calling it “poor man’s” may not be the best way to look at it…considering it’s history. Less common, yes, more difficult for Americans to pronounce, yes. [name_m]Will[/name_m] people think you wanted [name_u]Owen[/name_u] but were too good for a common name? I don’t think that’s likely, but I’m pretty sure a great deal of people will hear/say it as ew-in not yoo-in, the sound combination is a hard one for some English speakers and the spelling isn’t intuitive. I think it might depend on your area too, and the local accent. One way to get a good idea…ask a bunch of people to pronounce it, then correct them if they are wrong and see if they can manage to get it right.
I think [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] is much different to [name_u]Owen[/name_u], and considering [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] [name_m]McGregor[/name_m] I wouldn’t consider pronunciation to be a huge issue.
Have you heard of [name_m]Huon[/name_m]?
([name_m]Hugh[/name_m]-uhn) I find him very handsome, although probably not easier to pronounce than [name_m]Ewan[/name_m]. I can never decide which one I like better; [name_u]Owen[/name_u], [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] and [name_m]Huon[/name_m] all have similar qualities, but also seem to be very different names.
[name_m]Huon[/name_m] is a nice tie to my Tasmanian heritage, so that makes him preferable to me!
Is [name_m]Euan[/name_m] an acceptable spelling?
I love Ewan–I’ve never heard of it being associated with a low economic status. That’s seems really strange to me. But then, the only one I know of is Ewan McGregor, who is of course a movie star. I think a lot of people who might be otherwise unfamiliar know how to pronounce the name because of him.
On the other hand, I have an Owen and I think it sounds fantastic with Nora. My Owen is just a toddler, but so far we haven’t run into any others (in day care, or kids of friends and acquaintances). I’m sure we will, and I’m not denying its popularity, but sometimes numbers don’t translate directly to personal experience…
Umm my boyfriend just explained to me that the phrase ‘poor man’s _______’ isn’t literal… Oops!! Lol
I pronounce this like E-win. I may have heard the actor [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] [name_m]McGregor[/name_m] say his name like this. Maybe it was you-in.
[name_u]Owen[/name_u] has never been a fave of mine but I love [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] ([name_m]Euan[/name_m] is also an acceptable spelling). I think it’s much more striking and memorable than [name_u]Owen[/name_u]. I don’t see how the two can be confused when one is “owe” and one is “you”. The Scottish actor [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] [name_m]McGregor[/name_m] has made the name familiar to the masses. [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] would be a lovely Celtic sibling duo.
[name_m]Euan[/name_m]/[name_m]Iwan[/name_m]/[name_m]Ewan[/name_m] = YOU-un
[name_u]Owen[/name_u] = OH-in
I like both, but I think I prefer [name_u]Owen[/name_u].