The name Roan is a girl's name of Scottish, Irish origin meaning "little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors".

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Historically more popular for boys and generally less familiar than its sound-alike Rowan, Roan is a name with multiple meanings, origins, and pronunciations. Given to less than 10 girls back in 2023, time will tell if singer-songwriter Chappell Roan has brought the name more exposure. 
 
On one hand, Roan — said with two syllables — is simply a spelling variation of stylish Rowan, connected to both the red-berried tree, and to the Irish Ruadhán meaning "little red head". Alternatively, it's a Frisian name that rhymes with Joan, ultimately derived from the German element hraban meaning "raven" 
 
Roan can also be considered a word name, used to describe the coats of horses and other animals that are white mixed with another tone such as red or chestnut, again said with a single syllable.

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Rowan

The name Roan is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors".

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This sleek, warm-hued spelling spin on Rowan was chosen by Sharon Stone for one of her three sons back in the 2000s and it has since risen in popularity in the US. While it remains a long way behind its sometimes sound-alike Rowan, it was still given to more than 140 babies in a recent year.
 
A name of multiple origins and meanings, Roan could simply be a contracted form of stylish Rowan, which is itself a name with more than one meaning. On one hand, it's a nature nature, denoting a red-berried tree, while on the other, it is an Anglicized form of the Irish Ruadhán, meaning "little redhead". In this case, it would be said with two syllables.
 
Alternatively, Roan is a Frisian name, ultimately from the Old German hraban, meaning "raven". As such, it's a familiar option in The Netherlands where it ranked in the Top 150 in a recent year. 
 
Roan could however be an English word name, used to describe an animal that has a coat comprised of two different colors interspersed together. Again, it would be pronounced with just one syllable, to rhyme with Joan or lone. 
 
Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan may well make Roan a more visible and familiar choice, meaning we may well see more little Roans in coming years.

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