Show ContentsRonin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Ronin 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 Ronin family

The surname Ronin 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 Ronin family

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

Ronin Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Ronin revealed many variations, including Ronane, Ronayne, O'Ronayne, O'Ronan, Roonane, O'Roonane, Roonan, O'Roonan and many more.

Early Notables of the Ronin family

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

Migration of the Ronin family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Ronin or a variant listed above, including: 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.


Contemporary Notables of the name Ronin (post 1700) +

  • Thomas J. Ronin, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1912 1


The Ronin 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. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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