Ryan

“From the Irish surname Ó Riain — descendant of Rian, whose meaning is lost” — Irish Gaelic (surname Ó Riain) origin

Boy's name · #99 in the US (2025) · 80s

Ryan reached #11 in 1986 and has faded to #99 since. About 964,000 boys have carried it since 1906. Rye is a short form of Ryan. Popular twin pairings with Ryan include Matthew and Evan for boys, and Emma and Emily for girls.

Around the world: #45 in Canada (2024) · #56 in New Zealand (2025) · #56 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #58 in Ireland (2025) · #65 in Australia (VIC) (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Ryans

Ryan Gosling — Canadian actor (born 1980)
Ryan Reynolds — Canadian-American actor and entrepreneur (born 1976)
Ryan Giggs — Welsh association football player and coach
Ryan O'Neal — American actor (1941–2023)
Ryan Babel — Dutch association football player (born 1986)

In stories & tradition

Ryan Atwood — The O.C.
Ryan Chappelle — 24
Ryan Sinclair — Doctor Who

What Ryans become

Among 3,831 notable people named Ryan:

Sports figures appear 2.89× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ryan Giggs, Welsh association football player and coach.

Similar names: Tyler · Riley · Cameron · Bryan · Evan · Dylan

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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