Find out how popular the last name Ronan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ronan.

Ronan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ronan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ronan in America

Ronan is the 8036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ronan surname appeared 4,117 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ronan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ronan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ronan

The surname RONAN is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Ronán, which means "little seal." This name was particularly prevalent in the southwestern counties of Ireland, such as Kerry and Cork, during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname RONAN can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. One notable entry mentions a Muiris O'Ronain (Maurice O'Ronan) who served as the Bishop of Killaloe from 1207 to 1224.

In the 14th century, the RONAN surname was associated with the Barony of Iveragh in County Kerry, where it was spelled as "O'Ronain." This spelling variation suggests a connection to the Irish patronymic naming system, indicating that the name originally referred to descendants of a man named Ronán.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the surname RONAN have made significant contributions in various fields. One notable figure was Sir John Ronan (1800-1884), an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Melbourne from 1856 to 1857.

Another prominent individual was Joseph Ronan (1913-1979), an American actor and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the 20th century. He was best known for his role in the 1951 musical film "An American in Paris."

In the literary world, Patricia Ronan (1942-2008) was an acclaimed Irish writer and poet. Her works explored themes of identity, family, and the Irish diaspora experience. She was a recipient of the prestigious Hennessy Literary Award in 1983.

The RONAN surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ronanstown, a suburb of Dublin, and Ronayne's Island, located in County Cork. These place names further emphasize the historical roots of the surname in the Irish landscape.

While the name RONAN has maintained a presence in Ireland and other parts of the world, it has also been subject to variations in spelling and pronunciation over time, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it has been adopted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ronan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ronan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ronan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ronan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ronan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ronan, please contact us.

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