Direction and origin of the name

Étymologiquement, Ronan would mean “small seal”. Word RON indeed means " phoque" in modern Irish, parallel with the current Breton word nearly identical: reunig. Suffix - YEAR is a diminitif marker who is equivalent to - AND in French in the word " garçonnet". Some propose another etymology: old man-Celtic roen = royal, which dominates.

The name is given in reference to a come Saint Irish évangéliser the Brittany. The legend tells that it did not need any boat or trough to cross the English Channel, but which it simply went on water. See Holy Ronan.

He would have lived in the forest of Névet in Brittany, close to the town of Locronan (Finistere) where its Cénotaphe is the object of a Pèlerinage, " Troménie". Saint Ronan is celebrated the 1 {{er}}   June.

Pronunciation

• If one pronounces the Ronan first name in an Irish way, the " an" first name will decide like the " an" Irish first name Brendan.
• In Breton, the final consonant of the name Ron' an' decides like a alveolar nasal Occlusive consonant voiced.

Alternatives

• Deformations of the name: Renan (see Saint-Renan, city of Finistere) or Rene (in an intention to remove with the name its Celtic character).

Ronan like name of anybody or first name

Saint

• Holy Ronan, festival on June 1st.

Toponymy

• Locronan, commune of Finistere, France
• Saint-Renan, commune of Finistere, France
• (in Gaëlique of Ireland Lash Rónáin ) is the main city of the island of Inishmore, in the archipelago of the Îles of Aran, Comté of Galway, west coast of the Ireland.

Internal bonds

• List of the Celtic first names