boy's name
Ryan
RY-un
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 1,172,128
the United States
#99
2025 births
Ryan is a boy's name of Irish origin, anglicized from Ó Riain. It is usually translated as "little king," from rí, a king, with a diminutive ending, though the exact derivation of the underlying name Rian is not certain.
- Ryan is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1985, when 30,475 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 845 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1906.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ryan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 55 |
| 1920s | 111 |
| 1930s | 134 |
| 1940s | 500 |
| 1950s | 1,968 |
| 1960s | 11,400 |
| 1970s | 141,771 |
| 1980s | 285,116 |
| 1990s | 245,245 |
| 2000s | 179,147 |
| 2010s | 97,271 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 29,019 |
What Ryan means
Ryan is generally read as little king or descendant of the king, from the Irish rí, meaning king. The diminutive ending gives the sense of a small or young king rather than a reigning one.
Where Ryan comes from
Ryan anglicizes the Irish Ó Riain, meaning descendant of Rian. Rian is most often derived from rí, king, with the diminutive -an, giving little king — though some scholars leave the root open. The Ó Riain family were established in County Carlow and Tipperary, and the surname became one of the most common in Ireland. Its move to a given name happened in twentieth-century America and Britain, well ahead of the broader surname-as-first-name trend, and it became one of the most-used boys' names of the 1970s and 1980s. It is now given to girls as well, though far less often.
How popular is Ryan?
In 2025, Ryan was given to 3,925 babies in the United States, ranking #99 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Ryan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ryan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ryan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ryan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ryan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ryan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ryan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ryan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ryan
What does the name Ryan mean?
Ryan is usually translated as "little king," from the Irish rí, a king.
Is Ryan an Irish name?
Yes. It anglicizes Ó Riain, one of the most common Irish surnames.
Is Ryan used for girls?
Occasionally, though it remains overwhelmingly a boys' name.
How popular is the name Ryan?
In 2025, Ryan was given to 3,925 babies in the United States, ranking #99 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Ryan?
Ryan has 2 syllables.
When was Ryan most popular?
Ryan peaked in 1985, when 30,475 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ryan?
Ryan is usually shortened to Ry.
Is Ryan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ryan currently ranks #45 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.