Ronan
Ronan was the 247th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,406 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 88 places. More babies were named Ronan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning little seal · Irish, Breton
Say it ROH-nuhn /ˈroʊnən/
- Rank in 2025
- #247 boys, up 23 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,406boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,406 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,938babies recorded
What does the name Ronan mean?
Ronan is the English form of the Irish and Breton name Rónán, a diminutive of rón, 'seal' (the animal); Wikipedia gives this derivation, and Wiktionary takes it from Irish Rónán. Wikipedia notes an early ogham inscription bearing the name, which reads 'Rónán, son of Comgán', and Rónán also appears in Irish mythology. It is used as a surname as well as a given name.
rón (Irish, “seal”)-án (Irish, “diminutive ending”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Rónán, Ronnie.
See also: Irish names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ronan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Rónán', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Ronan
The usual nicknames for Ronan are Ro.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ro · also for Roman, Rowan, Rowyn | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ronans go by each one.
Ronan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 259 since 2006, 22 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #247 | 1,406 |
| 2020 | #270 | 1,263 |
| 2010 | #508 | 507 |
| 2000 | #1,013 | 145 |
| 1990 | #7,023 | 7 |
| 1980 | #3,798 | 11 |
| 1970 | #4,626 | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ronan, counting every spelling?
Ronan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #181 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #247 for Ronan on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,171 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronan | 1,406 | #247 | 6,486 |
| Ronin | 600 | #504 | 3,333 |
| Ronen | 153 | #1,285 | 453 |
| Ronon | 5 | #13,501 | 37 |
| Ronyn | 7 | #10,468 | 36 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ronan?
1,406 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ronan (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ronan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ronan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ronan?
About 20,500 people born in the US named Ronan are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 14. That makes Ronan a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ronan by state
How common Ronan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (5.3×), Alaska (3.8×), New Hampshire (3.0×), Maine (2.8×), Hawaii (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ronan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ronan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ronan · Sibling names for Ronan
Questions about the name Ronan
What does Ronan mean?
Ronan means “little seal” (Irish, Breton origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ronan?
Ronan was the 247th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,406 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 88 places. More babies were named Ronan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ronan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ronan in the US.
Where is Ronan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ronan was most common in Vermont (3.98 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and New Hampshire.