Given name & surname
Roan
“a woman with reddishbrown skin”·“of the red-berry tree”
Roan is a variant of Roana. One Spanish interpretation is “a woman with reddishbrown skin.” Roan is a variant of Rowan. Interpretations include “of the red-berry tree” and “from the tree with red berries; a little red-haired boy”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Roan is a variant of Roana. One Spanish interpretation is “a woman with reddishbrown skin.” Roan is a variant of Rowan. Interpretations include “of the red-berry tree” and “from the tree with red berries; a little red-haired boy”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Roan is a variant of Roana. An origin associated with Roana is Spanish. Roan is a variant of Rowan. Rowan has been associated with Irish, English, and Scandinavian naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1926. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Roan is a variant of Rowan. The history of Rowan gives this family its wider story. Rowan’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Roan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,019
- 2,734 boys · 285 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 180 babies
- 2025
- 180
- #1,309 for boys · #4,530 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +9%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 89% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 149 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,309 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 7.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 31 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,448 as a first name in 2020; 3,124 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Roan’s family of names
Roan has a related form in Rowan. Roan has a related form in Roana.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Roan
- Roan WilsonCosta Rican footballerborn 2002
- Roan JohnsonItalian writer and screenwriterborn 1974
- Roan CarneiroBrazilian martial artistborn 1978
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Roan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rowen
“of the red-berry tree”
77% boys · 23% girls
Rio
“woman of the river” · “from the river”
79% boys · 21% girls
Woods
“a woman of the forest” · “a man of the forest”
98% boys · 2% girls
Usher
“from the mouth of the river” · “from. the mouth of the river”
>99% boys
Hudson
“one who is adventurous; an explorer” · “the son of Hugh; from the river”
99% boys · 1% girls
Ford
“from the water” · “from the river crossing”
>99% boys
Ridgely
“one who lives at the meadow'sridge”
65% boys · 35% girls
Arlo
“from the barberry tree”
96% boys · 4% girls