At a glance
- In short
- Ronan is an Irish name meaning little seal.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #247 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 1,406 (0.077% of boys)
- Trend
- Steady #270 in 2020 to #247 in 2025
- Peak
- #247 in 2025
- Top state
- #80 in Vermont
- First recorded
- 1959
Meaning of Ronan
Ronan comes from the Irish name Rónán, a diminutive of rón, meaning "seal", so it is usually translated as "little seal". It was borne by several early Irish saints, among them a Saint Ronan honoured in Brittany, where the name is also traditional.
In English it is pronounced ROH-nuhn; in Irish it is closer to ROH-nawn. Well-known bearers include Irish singer Ronan Keating, who rose to fame with Boyzone, and American journalist Ronan Farrow, who shared a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
In the United States, Ronan was rare until the late 1990s: just 16 babies received it in 1995. It entered the top 1,000 in 2001 at 858th and has climbed fairly steadily since, reaching its highest rank so far, 247th, in 2025, when 1,406 babies were given the name.
How to pronounce Ronan
English
- Pronounced ROH-nuhn /ˈroʊnən/
Irish
- Pronounced ROH-nawn /ˈroʊnɑːn/
Popularity of Ronan in the U.S.
Ronan was the #247 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,406 babies. It has been in the top 1,000 since 2001. It first appears in the records in 1959.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1959–2025 59 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,406 | 247 | ▲ 10 |
| 2024 | 1,374 | 257 | ▲ 33 |
| 2023 | 1,149 | 290 | ▼ 24 |
| 2022 | 1,299 | 266 | ▲ 8 |
| 2021 | 1,258 | 274 | ▼ 4 |
| 2020 | 1,263 | 270 | ▼ 2 |
| 2019 | 1,346 | 268 | ▲ 26 |
| 2018 | 1,192 | 294 | ▲ 2 |
| 2017 | 1,194 | 296 | ▲ 19 |
| 2016 | 1,111 | 315 | ▲ 20 |
| 2015 | 1,029 | 335 | ▲ 31 |
| 2014 | 865 | 366 | ▲ 68 |
| 2013 | 668 | 434 | ▲ 23 |
| 2012 | 596 | 457 | – |
| 2011 | 584 | 457 | ▲ 51 |
| 2010 | 507 | 508 | ▲ 56 |
| 2009 | 470 | 564 | ▼ 57 |
| 2008 | 535 | 507 | ▲ 45 |
| 2007 | 466 | 552 | ▲ 47 |
| 2006 | 411 | 599 | ▲ 7 |
| 2005 | 372 | 606 | ▲ 37 |
| 2004 | 322 | 643 | ▲ 119 |
| 2003 | 232 | 762 | ▲ 62 |
| 2002 | 203 | 824 | ▲ 34 |
| 2001 | 187 | 858 | ▲ 151 |
| 2000 | 145 | 1,009 | ▲ 77 |
| 1999 | 123 | 1,086 | ▲ 614 |
| 1998 | 60 | 1,700 | ▲ 464 |
| 1997 | 40 | 2,164 | ▲ 426 |
| 1996 | 29 | 2,590 | ▲ 1,264 |
| 1995 | 16 | 3,854 | ▲ 57 |
| 1994 | 16 | 3,911 | ▲ 3,727 |
| 1993 | 6 | 7,638 | ▼ 3,524 |
| 1992 | 14 | 4,114 | ▲ 646 |
| 1991 | 11 | 4,760 | ▲ 1,655 |
| 1990 | 7 | 6,415 | ▼ 2,144 |
| 1989 | 12 | 4,271 | ▲ 929 |
| 1988 | 8 | 5,200 | ▼ 627 |
| 1987 | 9 | 4,573 | ▼ 116 |
| 1986 | 9 | 4,457 | ▲ 690 |
| 1985 | 7 | 5,147 | ▲ 414 |
| 1984 | 6 | 5,561 | ▲ 677 |
| 1983 | 5 | 6,238 | ▼ 2,756 |
| 1982 | 12 | 3,482 | ▲ 2,780 |
| 1981 | 5 | 6,262 | ▼ 2,647 |
| 1980 | 11 | 3,615 | back (not recorded in 1977–1979) |
| 1976 | 6 | 4,935 | back (not recorded in 1974–1975) |
| 1973 | 5 | 5,101 | ▼ 1,138 |
| 1972 | 7 | 3,963 | ▼ 305 |
| 1971 | 8 | 3,658 | ▲ 572 |
| 1970 | 6 | 4,230 | ▼ 295 |
| 1969 | 6 | 3,935 | ▼ 262 |
| 1968 | 6 | 3,673 | back (not recorded in 1966–1967) |
| 1965 | 7 | 3,244 | ▲ 357 |
| 1964 | 6 | 3,601 | ▼ 557 |
| 1963 | 8 | 3,044 | ▲ 261 |
| 1962 | 7 | 3,305 | ▲ 51 |
| 1961 | 7 | 3,356 | back (not recorded in 1960) |
| 1959 | 10 | 2,663 | new |
Ronan by state
Ronan ranks #80 in Vermont (2025).
Rank by state 45 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 80 | 6 |
| Alaska | 94 | 8 |
| Hawaii | 104 | 9 |
| Oregon | 113 | 34 |
| New Hampshire | 121 | 12 |
| Idaho | 125 | 20 |
| Massachusetts | 150 | 47 |
| Connecticut | 155 | 23 |
| Utah | 170 | 32 |
| Virginia | 172 | 53 |
| Maine | 172 | 7 |
| Colorado | 185 | 37 |
| Ohio | 198 | 64 |
| Washington | 200 | 41 |
| New York | 212 | 91 |
| Nevada | 213 | 14 |
| Indiana | 215 | 39 |
| Michigan | 217 | 45 |
| Missouri | 218 | 32 |
| Wisconsin | 221 | 27 |
| South Dakota | 221 | 6 |
| Illinois | 224 | 53 |
| Pennsylvania | 225 | 54 |
| Montana | 227 | 5 |
| California | 241 | 154 |
| Kansas | 246 | 15 |
| Arkansas | 247 | 14 |
| West Virginia | 254 | 7 |
| Maryland | 257 | 21 |
| New Jersey | 261 | 36 |
| Minnesota | 263 | 23 |
| Arizona | 272 | 29 |
| Iowa | 276 | 14 |
| Kentucky | 281 | 19 |
| Florida | 282 | 72 |
| Tennessee | 290 | 30 |
| Oklahoma | 328 | 14 |
| North Carolina | 330 | 35 |
| Alabama | 333 | 16 |
| New Mexico | 360 | 5 |
| Georgia | 414 | 27 |
| Louisiana | 426 | 11 |
| Nebraska | 432 | 5 |
| Texas | 435 | 77 |
| South Carolina | 668 | 6 |
Notable people named Ronan
- Ronan O'Gara is an Irish rugby coach and former fly-half, Ireland's third most-capped and second-highest points scorer, now head coach of La Rochelle in the French Top 14.
- Ronan Farrow, son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, is an American journalist whose New Yorker investigation of Harvey Weinstein earned a shared 2018 Pulitzer for Public Service, and he has also worked with UNICEF and as a government advisor.
- Ronan Keating is an Irish singer songwriter and media personality who rose to fame with Boyzone in 1993 and later scored a global solo hit with When You Say Nothing At All from Notting Hill.
- Ronan Maher is an Irish hurler who plays centre-back for Thurles Sarsfields and the Tipperary senior team.
- Ronan Tynan is an acclaimed Irish tenor and former Paralympian.
More people named Ronan 9 more
- Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are renowned brother designers whose globally recognized work spans furniture, tableware, textiles, ceramics, art objects, and urban projects.
- Ronan James Dunne is an Irish telecom executive and the current Six Nations Rugby chairman, overseeing commercial and marketing for the tournament.
- Ronan Lyons is the inaugural Clinical Professor of Public Health at Swansea University Medical School and leads several major population health and data research centers in Wales.
- Ronan van Zandbeek is a Dutch cyclist who most recently rode for the Dutch amateur team Invicta.
- Ronan Sweeney is a Gaelic footballer who played for Kildare from 2000 to 2013, winning the 2000 Leinster title, and helped Moorefield claim nine county and two Leinster crowns by 2018.
- Ronan is a Brazilian forward for K League 2 side Jeonnam Dragons.
- Ronan Gormley is an Irish field hockey player from Cork who has played for Pembroke Wanderers in Dublin and Crefelder HTC in Germany.
- Rónan Kelleher is an Irish professional rugby union hooker who plays for Leinster and the Ireland national team.
- Rónán Ó Flatharta is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a wing-back for An Ghaeltacht and the Kerry county team, including National Football League appearances and the 2008 final.