Roan? Roan cannot be a real name.. can it? :s

[PamShoo]

Hello - first post here, I feel nervous haha!

Pregnant with first DC - had a dream (I know) about a red headed boy with the name Roan?!
Mentioned it to DH this morning - not as a suggestion, more along the lines of 'weird dream' conversation - he is considering it as a name.. says it sounds like a nice name to use.. I on the other hand cannot possibly believe it is an actual name?!

Is it? I can't use it for DC, can I..?
I think I know the answer to this next question but-- what would you think if you heard a child with this name?

Rowan? It can be used for either sex, but I only personally know a girl called this.
Roan is a colour for horses, sorry.

Like Rowan as in Rowan Atkinson or R-ow-n?

Roan is a coat colour for animals. I know a Rohan - not sure if that's any better?

Roan is a northern European variant of Rowan. I quite like it.

Roan is a colour, I've only ever heard it used for horses and it's a mix of white and coloured (usually chestnut) hairs and it makes the horse look pink-ish. It would be appropriate for a red-headed boy and I think it sounds quite nice. He might be mistaken for Rowan or Ronan quite a bit though.

I know a 12 year old boy called Roan, pronounced Row-un (Row as in your boat, not as in argument)

I know a male Rohan and a female Rowan, both pronounced Row - an. Roan as I know it is pronounced to rhyme with bone and is a reddish colour, think Irish setters or red horses. It could be a welsh/irish variation of Rowan though I suppose. Get thee to nameberry.

Not sure if it's a proper name, but I like it!

Not heard of Roan but I LOVE Rowan, for a boy or girl.

Rohan for a boy, Rowan for a girl (in my experience). If you didn't see it written down in your dream, could he have been a little Rohan?

I taught a red haired Roan (pronounced ro-an) a few years ago. How weird. He was lovely but had a very tough life.

Roan is a Celtic name - think the original name is Rowan and it means "red headed".

Roan is also the Irish Gaelic word for "seal" if that means anything!

Honestly? I'd think you can't spell Rowan.

I've heard of Rohan.

Rowan and Rohan are really names (celtic and hindu respectively)

I know three boy Rowans. Never met a girl one.

(waits for RowanMumsnet to appear)

I'd think you'd used a variant of Rowan and would probably think it more likely to be used for a boy, spelt that way. I really like it, however you spell it!

All names were man-made, at some point or another ;)

I think your dream is telling you that you are having a little red-head! I am usually very anti made-up names, but I rather like this one :)

Rowan is a Celtic name and in Cornwall often spelt Roan or the variant Ruan.

I love it-- so much that Ds2 has it (he is Rowan) and never had negative response to his name.

If you like it....go for it!!

I think it's lovely. Your dream sounds cool. Any chance of the baby being a red-head?

All of the Rowans that I know are male. I know a Rohan, his name was chosen because it's Irish - I've no idea if it is, that is what his mother told me.
Roan reminds me of a strawberry roan horse.

Oh, and Rowan - the ones I know pronounce it Row-en and Row-an.

I think it's a lovely name but would probably spell it Rowan or Rohan.

Rowan feels more feminine than masculine to me but I think that is just because the few Rowans I've met have all been women.

Apparently Rohan can also be a Scottish version of Rowan, as well as a Hindu/Sanskrit name.

Yes Roan (or rón) means seal in Irish. There's a film I'm sure called the Secret of Roan Inish, about an island of seals.