Ronan Name Meaning

Ronan is a name of Irish origin and means “little seal.” It is derived from the Gaelic word “ronán,” which is often used as a term of endearment for someone who is little or small.

History of the Name Ronan

Ronan has been a popular name in Ireland for centuries, but it wasn’t until the late 20th century that it gained popularity in other parts of the world. One of the most famous people to bear the name Ronan is Ronan Keating, the Irish singer and songwriter. His popularity helped to increase the name’s visibility, making it more recognizable to people outside of Ireland.

Popularity of the Name Ronan

Ronan’s popularity as a baby name has steadily risen over the past few decades. In recent years, it has become a popular choice for parents in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. In 2019, Ronan was the 165th most popular baby name in the United States.

Ronan has a few variations, including Ronan, Ronin, and Ronnen. These variations reflect the different pronunciations of the name in different languages and regions.

Famous Ronans

There are several famous people named Ronan, including Ronan Keating, Ronan Farrow, and Ronan Tynan. Each of these individuals has made a significant impact in their respective fields and has helped to further popularize the name.

Final Thoughts on the Name Ronan

Ronan is a unique and modern name that is perfect for parents looking for something different for their son. It is a strong, distinctive name that stands out, yet still has a classic feel.

Ronan is a charming and unique name with a rich cultural heritage. Its meaning of “little seal” adds a touch of endearment and its popularity as a baby name continues to grow. Whether you’re looking for a classic, modern, or unique name, Ronan is definitely worth considering.

Infographic of Ronan name meaning, which is Meaning little seal, Ronan is an Irish name.
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Ronan Name Popularity

How popular is the name Ronan? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 — 0 0%
1919 — 0 0%
1920 — 0 0%
1921 — 0 0%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 — 0 0%
1925 — 0 0%
1926 — 0 0%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 — 0 0%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 — 0 0%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 — 0 0%
1943 — 0 0%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 — 0 0%
1946 — 0 0%
1947 — 0 0%
1948 — 0 0%
1949 — 0 0%
1950 — 0 0%
1951 — 0 0%
1952 — 0 0%
1953 — 0 0%
1954 — 0 0%
1955 — 0 0%
1956 — 0 0%
1957 — 0 0%
1958 — 0 0%
1959 — 0 0%
1960 — 0 0%
1961 — 0 0%
1962 — 0 0%
1963 — 0 0%
1964 — 0 0%
1965 — 0 0%
1966 — 0 0%
1967 — 0 0%
1968 — 0 0%
1969 — 0 0%
1970 — 0 0%
1971 — 0 0%
1972 — 0 0%
1973 — 0 0%
1974 — 0 0%
1975 — 0 0%
1976 — 0 0%
1977 — 0 0%
1978 — 0 0%
1979 — 0 0%
1980 1,981 5 0.0003%
1981 — 0 0%
1982 — 0 0%
1983 — 0 0%
1984 — 0 0%
1985 — 0 0%
1986 — 0 0%
1987 — 0 0%
1988 — 0 0%
1989 — 0 0%
1990 — 0 0%
1991 — 0 0%
1992 — 0 0%
1993 — 0 0%
1994 2,195 8 0.0005%
1995 — 0 0%
1996 2,573 5 0.0003%
1997 1,832 16 0.0011%
1998 1,479 32 0.0021%
1999 1,129 67 0.0045%
2000 950 110 0.0072%
2001 856 142 0.0094%
2002 833 148 0.0099%
2003 762 184 0.0121%
2004 649 269 0.0176%
2005 607 328 0.0215%
2006 601 358 0.0229%
2007 554 425 0.0269%
2008 514 489 0.0316%
2009 566 422 0.0282%
2010 510 466 0.0323%
2011 460 538 0.0378%
2012 458 555 0.0389%
2013 422 643 0.0452%
2014 365 831 0.057%
2015 330 1,011 0.0695%
2016 310 1,092 0.0757%
2017 292 1,167 0.0836%
2018 292 1,159 0.0844%
2019 267 1,313 0.097%
2020 270 1,212 0.0952%
2021 274 1,237 0.1012%
2022 265 1,275 0.0966%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Ronan

If you like Ronan, you’ll love these other names like Ronan.

What names are similar to Ronan?

Find a name that’s like Ronan, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Conan

Hound, wolf; high

Irish

Roan

Little red-head

Gaelic

Roban

Bright fame

German

Rogan

Red-headed

Irish

Rohan

Red-haired, red; ascending

Indian (Sanskrit)

Roman

One from Rome

Latin

Ronal

Ruler's counselor

Scandinavian

Ronn

Ruler's counselor

Scandinavian

Rowan

Of the rowan tree

Gaelic

Royan

Red-haired, red; ascending

Indian (Sanskrit)

Lists With Ronan

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Ronan.

Siblings of Ronan

Mamas with kids named Ronan also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Declan

Full of goodness

Irish

Willow

Willow tree

English

Justin

Just and fair

English

9 Comments

  1. My husband and I are both Irish and Scottish and we wanted an Irish or Scottish name.

    Reply

  2. We are a very outdoorsy family, so wanted our son to have a nature-inspired name. His middle name is Wilder, because it’s important to us to raise our boy to have a wild heart and to value imagination and adventure!

    Reply

  3. I heard the Taylor Swift song “Ronan” a few weeks after we had a stillbirth. Our thing with the baby we lost was “love you to the moon and back.” The song says that phrase multiple times. As I listened to it and cried, I felt God telling me our next baby would be a boy and we would name him Ronan. So we did! Our rainbow baby was born April 15, 2024.

    It’s a very sentimental name to us! It means “promise kept from God” (or “oath” or “little seal”). It’s so fitting since we were falsely diagnosed with infertility and just didn’t know if we would have babies and now I’m a mama to two boys. Only dislike is it gets confused with “Rowan” a lot which is our nephews name who was born 2 days after our son passed.

    Reply

  4. Unique by being an old classic rather than a different spelling on a current common name

    Reply

  5. We chose Ronan for our son because my husband has a long Scottish and Irish lineage that we wanted to honor. Ronan means “little seal” which I thought was cute. Ronan is also a name connected to a long line of saints (which my Catholic MIL loves!). I like that it’s not a super common name.

    Reply

  6. So Ronan I actually let my husband choose it since I named our first son. But to me it’s a strong name and if you knew the personality of my middle child it is quiet fitting. He was a big and strong boy at birth and now he is still a big and strong boy. I couldn’t imagine any other name for him.

    Reply

  7. We chose Ronan Timothy, meaning Song of Joy and Honoring God. Meanings are very important to our family, as well as including family names. My father in law is Timmy, and my husband’s Papa who passed right before his birth, his nickname was Ronnie which our little goes by as well. It’s a special combination name for such a sweet angel of a baby.

    Reply

  8. We wanted a name to match the first letter of my name. We also wanted something unique (not in the top 100). The other criteria was a sci-fi/fantasy inspired name. Ronan is from Stargate Atlantis (we spelled it differently).

    Reply

  9. My husband had it picked out before we got together. He liked the Japanese meaning of Ronin (samurai without a master) but we both have thick Irish heritage, so we chose the spelling Ronan (which means little seal).

    Reply

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