Ronon
A name of Celtic origin that may mean "little seal".
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the first name Ronon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ronon today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ronon births was 2019 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ronon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ronon with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
123
~ 1 in 2,786,621 Americans
Peak year
2019
13 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,668
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Ronon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ronon from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 71 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ronon remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ronon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ronon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ronon
The name Ronon is thought to have originated from the Celtic language group, which includes languages such as Welsh, Irish, and Breton. It is believed to be derived from the old Irish word "ronán," which means "little seal" or "little doe."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ronon can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, an Irish chronicle dating back to the 12th century. The chronicle mentions a man named Ronán Ua Briain, who was the King of Thomond (a region in modern-day County Clare, Ireland) in the late 11th century.
Another notable historical figure with the name Ronon was St. Ronan of Brittany, a 6th-century Breton monk and hermit. He is venerated as the patron saint of several towns in Brittany, France, and his feast day is celebrated on June 1st.
In Scotland, the name Ronon was popularized by St. Ronan, a 7th-century Scottish missionary and abbot. He founded several monasteries in Scotland and is considered one of the early Christian saints of the region. The town of St. Ronan's Well in the Scottish Borders is named after him.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ronon was also used by several Irish kings and noblemen. One notable example is Ronán mac Colmáin, who was the King of Leinster in the 7th century.
In more modern times, Ronon has been the name of several notable individuals, including:
1. Ronon Dex, a fictional character from the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, played by actor Jason Momoa.
2. Ronan O'Gara, an Irish former rugby union player who played for Ireland and Munster Rugby between 2000 and 2013.
3. Ronan Keating, an Irish singer-songwriter and former member of the popular boy band Boyzone.
4. Ronan Vibert, an English actor best known for his role in the television series The Actors.
5. Ronan Farrow, an American journalist and former government adviser who has worked for several media organizations, including NBC News and The New Yorker.
While the name Ronon may have ancient Celtic roots, it has been used across various cultures and time periods, making it a name with a rich and diverse history.
People
Ronon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ronon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ronon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ronon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 123 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ronon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,786,621 US residents.
Is Ronon a common name?
We classify Ronon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 124 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ronon most popular?
The single biggest year for Ronon was 2019, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ronon is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ronon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ronon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ronon in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ronon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ronon in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ronon can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Ronon as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.