Rowan’s last name is Whitethorn. Also known as the May tree. Aelin was born in May.
“Hawthorn, also known as the whitethorn and the May tree, is one of our most common native trees, and one that is steeped in legend and folklore.”
Bonus: one of the legends
Whitethorn (hawthorn) was considered a sacred tree. When it grows alone near the banks of stream, or on forts, it is considered to be the haunt and peculiar abode of the fairies, and as such is not to be disturbed without risk, sooner or later, of personal danger to the person so offending,William Gregory Wood-Martin, Traces of the Elder Faiths in Ireland (1902).
One more bonus: Rowan is also a plant.
People also believed the colour red was the best protection against magic. Thus the rowan’s vibrant display of berries in autumn may have further contributed to its protective abilities. An old rhyme hints alludes to this: “Rowan tree and red thread / make the witches tine (meaning ‘to lose’) their speed”. The rowan was denoted as a tree of the Goddess or a Faerie tree by virtue of its white flowers. The same was true of the hawthorn and elder.
Conclusion: Rowan Whitethorn is basically “Plant Plant”.
