Ruadhan
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ROO-awn
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #936 for boys
Big in Northern Ireland
Ruadhan is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “little red one”. In 2025 it ranked 936th for boys in the UK (36 babies).
What does Ruadhan mean?
Irish
“little red one”
St Ruadhán founded the monastery of Lorrha in Tipperary and is counted among the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Is Ruadhan a girl's or a boy's name?
Ruadhan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 36 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ruadhan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #936among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 36about 1 in 8,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 212% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 36 boys in the UK were named Ruadhan, making it the 936th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,052nd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 38 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ruadhan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2016 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,658th in England and Wales, 762nd in Scotland and 95th in Northern Ireland.
Ruadhan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #936 |
| 2024 | 38 | #899 |
| 2023 | 29 | #1,098 |
| 2022 | 14 | #1,789 |
| 2021 | 14 | #1,791 |
| 2020 | 11 | #2,052 |
| 2019 | 13 | #1,858 |
| 2018 | 9 | #2,388 |
| 2017 | 19 | #1,428 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 7 | #2,855 |
| 2014 | 5 | #3,529 |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 5 | #3,572 |
| 2011 | 4 | #3,986 |
| 2010 | 2 | #6,093 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,241 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 6 | #2,873 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 1 | #4,018 |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
| 1998 | 1 | #3,884 |
| 1997 | 1 | #3,857 |
Names like Ruadhan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rowan Ronan Finn Conan Rian Rayan Caelan Musa Callan Muhammad Yahya Rayyan
Names related to Ruadhan
More Irish names
Oscar Rory Maeve Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Connor Declan Casey Kennedy Lennon Cillian
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ruadhan: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ruadhan, updated 20 October 2026.