Ronin
Ronin was the 504th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 600 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 390th with 790 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 18 places. More babies were named Ronin in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Ronan) little seal · Irish, Breton
- Rank in 2025
- #504 boys, down 114 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 600boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020790 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,494babies recorded
What does the name Ronin mean?
Ronin is a spelling of Ronan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Ronan's meaning and origin.
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
Ronin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 222 since 2006, 17 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #504 | 600 |
| 2020 | #390 | 790 |
| 2010 | #853 | 249 |
| 2000 | #1,797 | 61 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ronin, counting every spelling?
Ronin is a spelling of Ronan, a name family that ranked #181 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #504 for Ronin 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 Ronin?
600 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ronin (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ronin 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ronin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ronin?
About 10,200 people born in the US named Ronin are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Ronin 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.
Ronin by state
How common Ronin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (4.3×), Hawaii (3.7×), Oregon (2.5×), Nevada (2.4×), Utah (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, New Jersey, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ronin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ronin, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ronin
What does Ronin mean?
Ronin is a spelling of Ronan, which means “little seal” (Irish, Breton origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ronin?
Ronin was the 504th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 600 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 390th with 790 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 18 places. More babies were named Ronin in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ronin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ronin in the US.
Where is Ronin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ronin was most common in Alaska (1.68 per 1,000 boys), followed by Hawaii and Oregon.