"Roan" is a term for a horse or cow that is multi-colored; that is, has a mixture of different reddish, brownish and white hairs. Sharon Stone named her son Roan, after "the Secret of Roan Inish," I think I read someplace. In this context, "Roan" is an anglicization of rón, which is Irish Gaelic for "seal" (as in the animal).