Show ContentsOrona History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Orona family in Ireland was Ó Ronain, which means descendant of Ronan. The popular personal name Ronan may derive from the word ron, which means a seal.

Early Origins of the Orona family

The surname Orona was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. John Ronayne is recorded in the County of Cork in the year 1139. The name is from the old Gaelic O'Roynian and they were apparently an old Munster family until the Anglo/Norman invasion of 1172, when their lands were forfeited and the family dispersed.

Early History of the Orona family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orona research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1139 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Orona History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orona Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Orona revealed spelling variations, including Ronane, Ronayne, O'Ronayne, O'Ronan, Roonane, O'Roonane, Roonan, O'Roonan and many more.

Early Notables of the Orona family

More information is included under the topic Early Orona Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orona Ranking

In the United States, the name Orona is the 11,328th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Orona family

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Orona name: George Ronan who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1872; James Ronan settled in Philadelphia in 1836; John Ronan settled in Canada in 1840; Patrick Ronan settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1849.



The Orona Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ipse fecit nos
Motto Translation: For he is our maker.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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