Ryan
Ryan Origin and Meaning
Ryan’s use as a given name was inspired by the surname Ryan, a variation of the Irish O’Riain meaning "son of Rían." Rían is composed of the Irish-Gaelic elements rí, meaning "king" and an, a diminutive suffix. Ryan is considered a unisex name in the US, where variant spellings Ryann and Ryanne are also valid for girls.
Ryan has been one of the most popular Irish names in America for decades; it had been in the Top 20 since 1976, and dropped out in 2010 but still ranks highly, even though parents now have such a wide choice of Irish surnames, from Flynn to Finnigan, and newer Ry names like Ryder. Ryan (born Patrick) O'Neal first brought it to light in the mid-1960s, when parents saw it as a fresher and more spirited alternative to names like Brian and Kevin. In recent years, Ryan has taken off as a girl's name.
Several male marquee Ryans still keep the name in the spotlight—think Ryan Seacrest, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling and Ryan Philippe.
- Ryan Rank in US Top 1000
- Ryan Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
- Names Similar to Ryan
- Famous People Named Ryan
- Ryan in Pop Culture
- Ryan in Nameberry Blog Posts
Ryan Rank in US Top 1000
Ryan Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Ryan Popularity
- 83US2023
- 204Nameberry2024
- 8Unisex2022
- 41Canada2022
- 135Future2028
- 106England2021
- 117Scotland2023
- 33Ireland2023
- 62Australia2023
- 57New Zealand2023
- 268Germany2016
- 95Netherlands2023
- 127Switzerland2023
20 Names Similar to Ryan
Famous People Named Ryan
- Ryan McCartanAmerican actor, singer and musician, part of the musical group 'The Girl And The Dreamcatcher' with Dove Cameron
- Ryan FarishAmerican electronic musician
- Ryan John SeacrestAmerican television host
- (Matthew) Ryan PhilippeAmerican actor
- Ryan Paul DelahoussayeAmerican musician
- (George) Ryan Ross IIIAmerican musician
- Ryan McGinleyAmerican photographer
- Ryan O'Neal(born Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal), American actor
- Ryan Rodney ReynoldsCanadian actor
- Ryan Thomas GoslingCanadian actor
- Ryan KellyIrish singer
- Ryan LochteAmerican swimmer
- Ryan TannehillAmerican football player
- Ryan FitzpatrickAmerican football player
- Ryan Kwanten Australian actor
- Ryan Paevey (born Ryan Jacob PaeveyVlieger), American model and actor
- Ryan Allen ShecklerAmerican skateboarder
- Ryan LaneAmerican Actor
- Ryan James PinkstonAmerican actor
- Ryan Nyquistprofessional BMX rider
- Ryan Scott LeeAmerican actor
- Ryan Earl MerrimanAmerican actor
- (Ryan) Dallas CookAmerican musician
- Ryan GallantAmerican pro skateboarder
- Ryan CartwrightEnglish actor
- Ryan BettyAmerican singer
- Ryan TedderAmerican singer and songwriter
- Ryan AdamsAmerican singer and songwriter
- Ryan McLoughlinmember of Irish boyband HomeTown
- Ryan KentAmerican child actor (twin brother of Hailey)
- Ryan Higa aka nigahigaAmerican YouTuber
- Ryan Fitzsimons aka LittleLizardGamingIrish YouTuber
- Ryan TyackAustralian archer
- Ryan HeldAmerican swimmer
- Ryan MurphyAmerican swimmer
- Ryan Joshua "Jeffrey" Metmember of band AJR
- Ryan Christopher Shuckformer guitarist of Orgy, lead singer of Julien,K, guitarist of Dead by Sunrise
- Ryan Burtformer drummer for Australian band The Amity Affliction
- Ryan Bruce "Ryland" AdamsAmerican YouTube vlogger
- Ryan BergaraBuzzFeed Unsolved Host
- Ryan Otto CassataTransgender Musician
- Ryan John Shilling (b. 2013)son of World Cup winner Amy Rodriguez
Ryan in Pop Culture
- Ryan EvansThe High School Musical Trilogy
- Ryan Atwoodcharacter from "The O.C"
- Ryan WolfeCSI: Miami
- Ryan Howardcharacter on US TV series "The Office"
- Ryan Atkinscharacter from "Sims" series
- Ryan Newmanfrom TV series "Wilfred" played by Elijah Wood
- Ryan Walkerfrom movie "Boys and Girls"
- Ryan Dunnefrom movie "Summer Catch"
- Ryan Sinclaircharacter from "Doctor Who"
- Ryan Kinkadethe MFE pilot in Voltron: Legendary Defender
Ryan in Nameberry Blog Posts
- Choosing Vintage Boy Names
- The Best Baby Names of 2022
- Girl Scout Baby Names: Sweet names for girls
- Celebrity Baby Name Trends of 2023
- Liberal and Conservative Baby Names Toe the Party Line
- Arctic Names: Cool and Wild
- Top 100 Baby Names Showdown!
- Old-Fashioned Names Are New Again
- Celebrity Baby Names of January: Cypress Night and Freddie Reign
- Best Rare Names from 100 Years Ago
- Best O Names for Boys
- Best K Names for Boys
- Top Baby Names by Letter Through the Ages
- Animated Baby Names for Girls
- Irish Baby Names: Last Names First
- Spring Babyberries Have Sprung!
- The Top Unisex Names in Every US State
- 100 Unisex Names for Boys
- French Baby Names: The latest trends in French prenoms
- Boy Names for Girls Reach New Heights
- Babyberry Names: Class of 2021
- How Gen Z Is Your Name?
- Celebrity Dog Names
- 15 Cool Country Boy Names For Your Little Cowboy
- America's Top Unisex Names of 2023
- Irish Baby Names: What’s Hot Now
- The Top Scottish Names You Never Hear
- Gorgeous Girl Names Starting with E
- Popular Dutch Names We Should Borrow
- Occupational Baby Names: A journalist named Jonah? An accountant named Adele?
- Top 100 Boy Names of 2014
- Vintage Boys’ Names: 9 choices ready for a comeback
- Six Spooky Doll Names for Halloween
- Boys’ Baby Names: 9 Ways to Name a Son
- 20 Great Girl Names from Song Titles
- August Babyberries: Singlets, Triplets and Twins
- Top 100 Boy Names of 2013
- Jack, Jackson & Theodore: Who says it’s tough to name a boy?
- Popular Boys’ Names: Top 100 Makeover
- Color Names: Thinking outside the Crayola box
- R Names Then and Now: Ralph vs. Ryder
- Fantasy Names From Eighties Movies
- Playground Analysis: The REAL Top 50 Names
- Surname Baby Names: Surfing for new inspiration
- Baby Names Trend: The Jennifer Juggernaut
- Boys’ Names 2012: Nameberry’s Top 100
- Girl Names More Popular Than You Think
- Cowboy Names: Back in the saddle again
- Nameberry Picks: 12 Best Glamour Girl Names
- Top Boys Name For Each Letter: a 130-year survey
- New York City Baby Names: 2009′s Most Popular List
- 1930s Names Making a Comeback
- Car Names: Test Drive These For Your Baby
- Scottish Baby Names: What’s hot with the Scots
- New Popular Irish Names Revealed
- Stunning Spanish Names for Girls and Boys
- 12 Ever-Cool Boy Names
- 60 Names That Mean You Live in the Midwest
- How Millennial Is Your Name?
- Undiscovered Baby Names for Boys
- A Girl Called Liam
- Boys’ Names for Girls
- Fresh Scandinavian Baby Name Choices
- The Best Celebrity Baby Names
- The Hottest Z Names of 2020
- Baby Names Fit for a King
- British Baby Names Trends: 5 categories on the rise
- 15 Stellar Astronomy Baby Names
- The REAL Top Baby Names of All Time!
- Baby Names of the 1990s
- Name Sage: Finding Dramatic and Unexpected Baby Names
- Best I Names for Girls
- Celebrity Cat Names
- Celebrity Baby Names: Valentine and Valentina
- What's a Classic Name?
- Irish Baby Names: Great new discoveries!
- Baby Names on the Rocks: Sherry, Brandy & Porter
- 20 Most Controversial Baby Names
- Grandparent Names Today May Surprise You
- Transforming Top to Uncommon Boy Names
- Quirky Favorite Baby Names in 10 Top Cities