Ronan Name Meaning & Origin
Ronan
Origin of the name Ronan:
Very old Irish name derived from the diminutive form of rón (a seal): hence, "little seal ." The name was borne by twelve saints as well as by an ancient king of Leinster who was deceived into killing his first-born son.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Ronan Over Time

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Name Lists Featuring Ronan
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Ireland, 2010
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland for 2012
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in the Republic of Ireland
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- Comments and insights on the name Ronan
I love this name. My husband and I have Irish heritage so wanted to use this name if we ever had a son. When we did, this definitely was still a winner. So far, my son is only 5 months but I have only ran across two other Ronan's in my life. One is a family friend in his thirties and the other a friend who knew someone with a child named Ronan. The only thing I have ran into, is people confusing his name with "Rowen" when they ask me what his name is.
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My husband and I named our son Ronan after the singer at a concert where we first met in 2000. I think it sounds masculine and is easy to pronounce even though it is less common in the US. Our son seems to really like his name. Most people have no problem pronouncing it or reading it, but occasionally in loud settings people will hear 'Rodin' instead of Ronan. We found out recently from a 'Swifty' that Taylor Swift sang a song about a boy named Ronan who died of cancer. Very depressing, however I don't think the song was popular. Many people ask "Ronin like the samurai" (due to the films 'Ronin' and '47 Ronin' and we will explain, no it's Irish. Overall, we like the name and I have no regrets naming him Ronan.- Personal experiences with the name Ronan
- Nicknames for Ronan
Roe, Rone, Ronnie, Roni, Rice-a-roni, Ro Ro
- Meanings and history of the name Ronan
Oath (Celtic/Gaelic)
Rónán is an Irish language male given name meaning "little seal" (Rón meaning "seal", and -án being a diminutive suffix)- Famous real-life people named Ronan
Ronan Keating, singer
Ronan Tynan, singer
Ronan Bennett, author
Ronan, 6th Century Irish Saint and founder of Locronan
Ronan Farrow, diplomat and journalist
Ronan Harris, singer
Ronan O'Gara, Irish Rugby player
Ronan Beason (b. 2010), son of American actress Catherine Bell- Ronan in song, story & screen
"Ronan" is a heroic centaur in the Harry Potter books.
Ronan (spelled Ronon) Dex, a character in the 'Stargate: Atlantis' sci-fi television series.
Ronan Thompson, an almost 4-year-old boy that died of cancer. Taylor Swift wrote a song titled "Ronan" for him.
Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
Ronan the Accuser, the villain of the film Guardians of the Galaxy.