Ronin
Japanese ronin, written with characters for wave and person, described a samurai left without a master. The word entered English well before it was used as a name.
Ronin in 2025
Ronin was given to 617 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 989th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 5,373 babies born.
The history of Ronin
Ronin reached its highest point in 2020, when 813 babies were given the name, ranking 773rd that year.
Across the 28 years of records since 1998, 10,494 babies have been named Ronin. Half of them were born before 2018, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Ronin by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ronin | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75 | 3,904 |
| 2000s | 1,426 | 1,716 |
| 2010s | 4,771 | 915 |
| 2020s | 4,222 | 773 |
Where Ronin is heading
Ronin has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 614 babies in 2015 to 617 in 2025.
Names like Ronin
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ronin.