Ronan
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ROH-nan
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #150 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #247 for boys
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Ronan is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “little seal”. In 2025 it ranked 150th for boys in the UK (387 babies) and 247th for boys in the US (1,406 babies).
What does Ronan mean?
Irish
“little seal”
From Irish rón, seal, with a diminutive ending; it was borne by several early Irish and Scottish saints.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ronan a girl's or a boy's name?
Ronan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 387 boys in the UK and 22 girls and 1,406 boys in the US.
How popular is Ronan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #150among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 387about 1 in 770 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 34% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.8%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 387 boys in the UK were named Ronan, making it the 150th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 211th. Its busiest year was 1999, with 447 boys.
2025 had more boys named Ronan than any year since 1999.
Half of all the boys named Ronan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2020. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 410 boys in the UK were given Ronan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #159.
- Ronan 387
- Ronin 23
Among boys in 2025, it was 215th in England and Wales, 60th in Scotland and 16th in Northern Ireland.
Ronan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 387 | #150 |
| 2024 | 305 | #184 |
| 2023 | 323 | #176 |
| 2022 | 298 | #193 |
| 2021 | 320 | #191 |
| 2020 | 265 | #211 |
| 2019 | 249 | #235 |
| 2018 | 244 | #238 |
| 2017 | 233 | #255 |
| 2016 | 234 | #261 |
| 2015 | 211 | #273 |
| 2014 | 213 | #268 |
| 2013 | 201 | #272 |
| 2012 | 204 | #266 |
| 2011 | 201 | #266 |
| 2010 | 184 | #285 |
| 2009 | 184 | #270 |
| 2008 | 196 | #251 |
| 2007 | 193 | #245 |
| 2006 | 165 | #254 |
| 2005 | 188 | #220 |
| 2004 | 179 | #227 |
| 2003 | 179 | #218 |
| 2002 | 163 | #220 |
| 2001 | 216 | #181 |
| 2000 | 346 | #133 |
| 1999 | 447 | #121 |
| 1998 | 337 | #137 |
| 1997 | 264 | #156 |
| 1996 | 145 | #237 |
How popular is Ronan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #247among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,406about 1 in 1,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,406 boys in the US were named Ronan, making it the 247th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 270th. It first appears in the records in 1959. 22 girls were also named Ronan in 2025 (5,553rd for girls).
2025 had the most boys named Ronan of any year since it first appeared, in 1959.
Half of all the boys named Ronan in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 2,187 boys in the US were given Ronan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #185, up from #247 for this spelling alone.
Ronan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,406 | #247 |
| 2024 | 1,374 | #257 |
| 2023 | 1,149 | #290 |
| 2022 | 1,299 | #266 |
| 2021 | 1,258 | #274 |
| 2020 | 1,263 | #270 |
| 2019 | 1,346 | #268 |
| 2018 | 1,192 | #294 |
| 2017 | 1,194 | #296 |
| 2016 | 1,111 | #315 |
| 2015 | 1,029 | #335 |
| 2014 | 865 | #366 |
| 2013 | 668 | #434 |
| 2012 | 596 | #457 |
| 2011 | 584 | #457 |
| 2010 | 507 | #508 |
| 2009 | 470 | #564 |
| 2008 | 535 | #507 |
| 2007 | 466 | #552 |
| 2006 | 411 | #599 |
| 2005 | 372 | #606 |
| 2004 | 322 | #643 |
| 2003 | 232 | #761 |
| 2002 | 203 | #823 |
| 2001 | 187 | #857 |
| 2000 | 145 | #1,007 |
| 1999 | 123 | #1,084 |
| 1998 | 60 | #1,697 |
| 1997 | 40 | #2,161 |
| 1996 | 29 | #2,585 |
| 1995 | 16 | #3,848 |
| 1994 | 16 | #3,905 |
| 1993 | 6 | #7,631 |
| 1992 | 14 | #4,106 |
| 1991 | 11 | #4,752 |
| 1990 | 7 | #6,408 |
| 1989 | 12 | #4,265 |
| 1988 | 8 | #5,194 |
| 1987 | 9 | #4,567 |
| 1986 | 9 | #4,453 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 6 | #5,557 |
| 1983 | 5 | #6,234 |
| 1982 | 12 | #3,481 |
| 1981 | 5 | #6,260 |
| 1980 | 11 | #3,614 |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 6 | #4,933 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 5 | #5,099 |
| 1972 | 7 | #3,960 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3,656 |
| 1970 | 6 | #4,228 |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 6 | #3,672 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 7 | #3,242 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 8 | #3,043 |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1961 | 7 | #3,354 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 10 | #2,662 |
Names like Ronan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Finn Rowan Brody Aiden Kayden Kian Callan Declan Lochlan Conan Caelan Rian
Other spellings of Ronan
Names related to Ronan
More Irish names
Oscar Rory Maeve Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Connor Casey Kennedy Lennon Cillian Kevin Sloane
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ronan: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ronan, updated 20 October 2026.