How to say it
RY · an
/ˈraɪ.ən/
Masculine
Ryan
Little king
What it means
Anglicized Irish surname Ó Riain, 'descendant of Rían' (Rían being an Old Irish name probably meaning 'little king').
Ryan is the anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Riain, 'descendant of Rían' (likely from rí 'king' + a diminutive suffix). The surname-to-first-name jump happened in the US through the 20th century. Ryan was a top-15 boys' name in the 1980s and 1990s and has slid steadily since, but is still a top-100 stalwart. Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, and Ryan Phillippe kept it in the cultural foreground for a generation. Rye is a rare short; most go by the full Ryan.
Popularity over time
peaked at #11 in 1986, currently #99 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Rye is a rare short; most Ryans keep the full single-syllable Ryan in adulthood.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Ryan Gosling Canadian actor, La La Land and Barbie
- Ryan Reynolds Canadian actor, Deadpool and Free Guy
- Ryan Murphy Television producer, Glee and American Horror Story
Spelling variants
- Ryann
- Rian
Names with the same feeling
See Ryan from another angle
By meaning
By style