Ryan

Ryan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “little king”
Origin: Irish
Say it: RY-an · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys (97% of all uses)

From an Irish surname derived from Ó Riain. The exact original sense is debated, but it is commonly interpreted as 'little king'.

Irish names English names American names Names meaning royalty Modern names Surname-style names International names

How popular is Ryan?

20241,289 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Ryan in 20244,291

2024 rank#87 boys

Peak year1985

Total US babies since 1880987,785

Ryan is fading: recent use is about 49% of its level ten years before.

Names like Ryan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Ryannlittle king · Irish
Zyanmodern coinage; uncertain · American (modern coinage)
Liamresolute protector · Irish
Aidenlittle fire · Irish
Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
Connorlover of hounds · Irish
Roryred king · Irish

Ryan questions

What does the name Ryan mean?

Ryan means "little king". It comes from Irish. From an Irish surname derived from Ó Riain. The exact original sense is debated, but it is commonly interpreted as 'little king'.

Is Ryan a boy or girl name?

Ryan is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Ryan?

4,291 US babies were named Ryan in 2024. Its peak year was 1985.

How do you pronounce Ryan?

Ryan is usually pronounced RY-an.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.