Boy · Irish · International
Ryan
RyanSay it RY-un
- Meaning today
- Little king, champion
- Original meaning
- "from the Irish surname Ó Riain, "descendant of Rian"; the meaning of Rian is unknown" Wikipedia
- Say it
- RY-un
- Other spellings
- Rian, Ryen
Ryan
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Ryan meaning
Ryan is an international boy's name of Irish origin.
Meaning today
Little king, champion
Original Irish meaning
"from the Irish surname Ó Riain, "descendant of Rian"; the meaning of Rian is unknown"
Source: Wikipedia, Ryan (given name), citing MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland (1964), p. 15 · entry Ryan · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Ryan comes from the Irish surname Ó Riain, 'descendant of Rian'. Baby-name lists usually give 'little king', connecting Rian with rí, the Irish word for king, and sometimes 'champion'. Irish surname scholars have been more cautious: Edward MacLysaght wrote that the original meaning of Rian is unknown, and the historian John Ryan suggested the name was so old that its meaning was lost before records began. So 'little king' is best read as a popular interpretation. It is said RY-un.
References: Wikipedia, Ryan (given name) · Ó Dónaill, rí
Famous namesakes
- Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor
Popularity abroad
- #99 United States, boys 2025 (down 12 from 87 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #135 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Ryan · Rian · Ryen