Ronan

Rónán (anglicised as Ronan) is a masculine given name of Irish origins, from the meaning "little seal " (Rón meaning the animal "seal", and -án being a diminutive suffix). It’s also the name of various Saints such as St Ronan of Locronan (a monk who settled in Brittany, France).

The name derived from the Celtic legend that tells of a mother seal who is warned never to stray too close 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 can't forget her husband and children and can even be seen swimming close to the shore, keeping a watchful and loving eye on them.[1]

Nicknames can include: Roan, Roe, Roni or Roney