Rónán,
anglicised as Ronan, is an
Irish and
Breton male given name and surname. It comes from the surname, which comes in many forms derived, from the
GaelicÓ Rónáin 'descendant of Rónán', O'Ruanaháin 'descendent of Ruanadh' and O'Ruadhain 'descendent of Ruadhán'. In modern sources, it is traditionally derived from rón, the Irish word for '
seal'.
There are a number of relations, and variants of the name, (some of these, adopted by the word
rí ("king" ), including O'Ruanadhain, O'Ruanadha, O'Ruán, Ruane, Roynian, Roonan,
Rooney,
Rowan, Royan,
Roy, O'Rian, Reen,
Ryan, Cunreen, MacConraoi,
Conroy, O'Hannraoi, and
Henry.
The name is derived from a very old legend, which tells the story of a mother seal who is warned never to stray too closely to the land. When the seal is swept ashore by a huge wave, she becomes trapped in a human form, known as a "
Selkie" or "seal maiden". Although she lives as the wife of a fisherman and bears him children, known as "ronans" or "little seals", she never quite loses her "sea-longing". Eventually she finds the "seal-skin" which the fisherman has hidden and slips back into the ocean. However, she cannot forget her husband and children and can be seen swimming close to the shore, keeping a watchful and loving eye on them.[1]
There are twelve Irish saints bearing the name of Ronan commemorated in the Martyrology of Donegal:[2] These include:
Ronan of Locronan, a c. 6th century Irish pilgrim saint and hermit in western Brittany
Rónán Mac Bearaigh (died 665), founder of Druim Inesclainn (Drumshallon) (see
Féchín of Fore).
Rónán of Ulster, brother of St. Carnech, and grandson of Loarn, died 11 January 535.
Rónán Fionn is honoured as patron of Lan Ronan (Kelminiog) in Iveagh. His feast is celebrated on 22 May, both in Ireland and Scotland.
Rónán of Lismore was a successor of
St. Carthage, and several
Munster churches were built in his honour. His feast is celebrated on 9 February 763.
Another saint of this name is best known by the ruined church of Kilronan (Irish: Cill Rónáin), Co. Roscommon, where
Turlogh O'Carolan and Bishop O'Rourke are buried.
The name appears in an
ogham inscription documented by the Ogham in 3D project[4] as ᚏᚑᚅᚐᚅᚅ ᚋᚐᚊ ᚉᚑᚋᚑᚌᚐᚅᚅ (transliteration: RO/NA/NN MAQ COMOGANN) or, Rónán, son of Comgán.[5]
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given name or the same
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