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Ryan Baby boy name meaning, origin, and popularity

Ryan name meaning and origin

Ryan has a long history that dates back to Old Ireland as a popular surname. The name was actually derived from another surname, O'Mulriain, after an Irish clan leader named Maelruain. With time, the name was shortened and anglicized to O'Ryan. Ryan is commonly thought to mean "little king" or "illustrious," though the name is so ancient its original meaning isn't clear.

The name is Ryan is believed to be derived from two Gaelic words, "righ" and "an." The word "righ" can be translated as "king" and "an" is a suffix meaning "little." But this is a name with a history that stretches back many centuries. It's possible that it was around long before the first written records of it and that its original meaning has been lost.

Ryan is most often pronounced "RYE-uhn" and can also be spelled Rian or Riann. It's typically given to boys, though it's becoming more popular as a girl's name, especially spelled Ryann or Ryanne.

While we're not certain when Ryan first became a given name, we do know it made its first appearance on the Social Security Administration's list of the top 1,000 boy's names in the 1940s. Since then, Ryan has kept its spot as a most popular boy's name due to its strong, simple nature.

Following the 1940s, Ryan experienced a slow but steady increase in popularity for a few decades. It was the early 1970s, however, when this name skyrocketed as a popular name thanks to the actor Ryan O'Neal. This boxer-turned-actor had his first major break after landing a role on the soap opera Peyton Place, then solidified his stardom in the movies Love Story and Paper Moon.

From 1976 to 2010, Ryan was a top 20 boys' name in the United States. Since then, it has decreased in popularity, but not by much. It was still in the top 100 names in 2020, according to data from the Social Security Administration.

BabyCenter parents have also consistently picked Ryan as a baby boy's name, putting it in the top 100 in 2020. (BabyCenter's data comes from thousands of parents who share their baby's name with us.)

Ryan's popularity as a baby name for girls is on the rise, too: It first appeared in the top 1,000 girl's names in 1974. It's fluctuated over the years since, breaking into the top 500 a few times and peaking at number 365 in 2018.

Ryan has also been popular internationally, spending several years as a top baby name in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.

Given how this kingly name has ruled as a popular name for decades, we expect it to stick around as a top choice for decades to come.

Ryan name popularity

Popularity over time

babies per million
Source: Social Security Administration & BabyCenter user data

Ryan in pop culture

Ryan Atwood
Character on the teenage soap opera The O.C. played by Ben McKenzie
Ryan Evans
Character in Disney's High School Musical movies played by Lucas Grabeel
Ryan Hardy
Character played by Kevin Bacon on the movie The Following
Ryan Howard
Character from The Office played by B.J. Novak
Ryan Lavery
Character on the daytime soap opera All My Children played by Cameron Mathison
Rian
Character in Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
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Famous people named Ryan

Ryan Adams
American musician
Ryan Anderson
American professional football player
Ryan Anthony
Trumpet player known for his work with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Bates
American professional football player
Ryan Coogler
Screenwriter and director known for Black Panther
Ryan Gosling
Academy Award-nominated actor
Ryan O'Neal
American actor
Ryan Phillippe
American actor
Ryan Reynolds
American-Canadian actor
Ryan Seacrest
American TV personality known for hosting American Idol
Ryan Stiles
Comedian known for his time on Whose Line is it Anyway?
Ryan Tedder
Musician and lead singer of the band OneRepublic
Rian Johnson
American filmmaker known for Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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