Ryan

Meaning of Ryan

Ryan means "little king" or "descendant of a king."

Ryan has Irish roots — browse every Irish baby name in our catalog.

Popularity of Ryan

Ryan has cooled off, slipping to #99 in 2025, down from a peak of #12 in 2004.

Ryan as a girl's name

Ryan is also used as a girl's name, currently ranked #715 in the US.

Notable people named Ryan

• Ryan Reynolds
  Actor and film producer
• Ryan Gosling
  Actor and musician
• Ryan Seacrest
  Television host and producer
• Ryan Howard
  Former professional baseball player
• Ryan Tedder
  Singer and songwriter

More Irish names

Questions about the name Ryan

What does the name Ryan mean?

Ryan means ryan means "little king" or "descendant of a king.", and it comes from Irish origins.

Is Ryan a boy's or a girl's name?

Ryan is used for both boys and girls in the United States, which makes it a unisex name.

How popular is the name Ryan?

In 2025, Ryan ranked #99 for boys, down from #87 the year before and #715 for girls, down from #701 the year before.

When was Ryan most popular?

Ryan peaked at #12 in 2004.