Ryan is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ryan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ryan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ryan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ryan is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “little king”. originally a surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 991,747 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 68,521 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 21,221 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 5,176 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 13,104 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 10,468 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ryan per year, United States (1906 to 2025). United States peaked in 1985 (30,475/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (6,496/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1994 (1,098/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2011 (685/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (381/yr).
Ryan has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1985, when it ranked #14 nationally (given to 30,956 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Rowan · Ron · Rayan · Ryne · Ryann
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