Ronan
Say it: ROH-nan/ˈɾˠoːnˠɑːnˠ/
BoyIrishMeans little seal5 letters2 syllables
#86
in Ireland (2025)
#69 with spellings combined
85
babies in 2025
#31
best rank (1980)
10,334
babies since 1964
Down 13
10-year rank change
Ronan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 | #69 |
| 2024 | 98 | #62 |
| 2023 | 80 | #78 |
| 2022 | 78 | #82 |
| 2021 | 82 | #83 |
| 2020 | 64 | #94 |
| 2019 | 97 | #74 |
| 2018 | 103 | #65 |
| 2017 | 95 | #74 |
| 2016 | 99 | #71 |
| 2015 | 136 | #56 |
| 2014 | 131 | #64 |
| 2013 | 143 | #60 |
| 2012 | 167 | #52 |
| 2011 | 187 | #48 |
| 2010 | 180 | #50 |
| 2009 | 225 | #38 |
| 2008 | 191 | #43 |
| 2007 | 200 | #41 |
| 2006 | 164 | #47 |
| 2005 | 169 | #43 |
| 2004 | 182 | #39 |
| 2003 | 132 | #51 |
| 2002 | 122 | #54 |
| 2001 | 139 | #50 |
| 2000 | 165 | #41 |
| 1999 | 147 | #44 |
| 1998 | 143 | #42 |
| 1997 | 167 | #51 |
| 1996 | 195 | #46 |
| 1995 | 138 | #55 |
| 1994 | 148 | #49 |
| 1993 | 132 | #57 |
| 1992 | 136 | #57 |
| 1991 | 159 | #50 |
| 1990 | 182 | #46 |
| 1989 | 184 | #41 |
| 1988 | 185 | #43 |
| 1987 | 220 | #42 |
| 1986 | 213 | #44 |
| 1985 | 232 | #42 |
| 1984 | 239 | #44 |
| 1983 | 271 | #39 |
| 1982 | 281 | #41 |
| 1981 | 331 | #32 |
| 1980 | 356 | #31 |
| 1979 | 277 | #36 |
| 1978 | 248 | #39 |
| 1977 | 244 | #40 |
| 1976 | 212 | #48 |
| 1975 | 232 | #43 |
| 1974 | 203 | #49 |
| 1973 | 203 | #49 |
| 1972 | 201 | #46 |
| 1971 | 188 | #49 |
| 1970 | 138 | #54 |
| 1969 | 137 | #47 |
| 1968 | 132 | #45 |
| 1967 | 98 | #60 |
| 1966 | 97 | #61 |
| 1965 | 81 | #63 |
| 1964 | 70 | #67 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Ronan mean?
Little seal
Irish Rónán, from rón (seal) with the small ending -án.
Say it right
ROHnan
In Munster the stress often moves to the end, roh-NAWN. The fada spelling Rónán is also used.
Not:RON-an
The story of Ronan
Ronan is the English spelling of the Irish Rónán, “little seal”, from rón (seal) and the small ending -án. It is a very old name: an ogham stone records a Rónán son of Comgán. The name is also used in Brittany.
Several early Irish saints were called Rónán. One of them, Rónán Finn, plays a part in the medieval tale of Suibhne, the king who is cursed by the saint and ends up living wild in the trees.
Ronan’s best year in Ireland was 1980, when 356 boys were given it and it reached number 31. The CSO counts Ronan, Rónán and Rónan as separate names. Together they came to number 69 in 2025, while Ronan on its own was number 86. North of the border it ranked 16th in 2025, its highest place there.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Rónán (Irish proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Ronan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Rónán
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ronan | 67 | 10,231 |
| Rónán | 12 | 65 |
| Rónan | 6 | 29 |
| Ronán | under 3 | 9 |
In Northern Ireland
#16 in 2025 with 80 babies. Best rank #16 (2025); 2,227 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.