Ryan
Boy · RY-an · Irish
Classic
Ryan is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “little king”. In 2025 it ranked 129th for boys in the UK (445 babies) and 99th for boys in the US (3,532 babies).
What does Ryan mean?
Irish: from the surname Ó Riain
“little king”
From the Irish surname Ó Riain, descendant of Rian, one of the most widespread surnames in Ireland.
- Say it
- RY-an
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ryan a girl's or a boy's name?
Ryan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3 girls and 445 boys in the UK and 393 girls and 3,532 boys in the US.
How popular is Ryan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #129among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 445about 1 in 670 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 445 boys in the UK were named Ryan, making it the 129th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 89th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 7,428 boys. 3 girls were also named Ryan in 2025 (5,990th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 15 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Ryan since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Ryan in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2009. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 135th in England and Wales, 107th in Scotland and 99th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1974 (#79), 1984 (#28), 1994 (#6), 2004 (#22) and 2014 (#69).
Ryan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 445 | #129 |
| 2024 | 487 | #124 |
| 2023 | 525 | #112 |
| 2022 | 569 | #114 |
| 2021 | 681 | #99 |
| 2020 | 728 | #89 |
| 2019 | 809 | #86 |
| 2018 | 870 | #85 |
| 2017 | 1,006 | #74 |
| 2016 | 1,059 | #70 |
| 2015 | 1,229 | #58 |
| 2014 | 1,325 | #52 |
| 2013 | 1,603 | #47 |
| 2012 | 2,138 | #40 |
| 2011 | 2,704 | #31 |
| 2010 | 3,115 | #24 |
| 2009 | 3,036 | #26 |
| 2008 | 3,781 | #17 |
| 2007 | 3,589 | #21 |
| 2006 | 3,537 | #22 |
| 2005 | 3,648 | #19 |
| 2004 | 3,758 | #18 |
| 2003 | 3,872 | #18 |
| 2002 | 4,166 | #16 |
| 2001 | 4,623 | #15 |
| 2000 | 5,264 | #12 |
| 1999 | 6,173 | #9 |
| 1998 | 6,129 | #9 |
| 1997 | 6,807 | #7 |
| 1996 | 7,428 | #7 |
How popular is Ryan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #99among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3,532about 1 in 480 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 38% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.9%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3,532 boys in the US were named Ryan, making it the 99th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 57th. Its busiest year was 1985, with 29,905 boys. It first appears in the records in 1906. 393 girls were also named Ryan in 2025 (712th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 22 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Ryan than any year since 1970.
Half of all the boys named Ryan in the US since 1880 were born between 1983 and 2002, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ryan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,532 | #99 |
| 2024 | 3,906 | #87 |
| 2023 | 4,035 | #83 |
| 2022 | 4,403 | #74 |
| 2021 | 4,735 | #66 |
| 2020 | 5,348 | #57 |
| 2019 | 6,127 | #54 |
| 2018 | 6,943 | #46 |
| 2017 | 7,706 | #44 |
| 2016 | 8,261 | #40 |
| 2015 | 8,548 | #39 |
| 2014 | 9,098 | #37 |
| 2013 | 9,895 | #30 |
| 2012 | 10,944 | #26 |
| 2011 | 11,503 | #25 |
| 2010 | 11,981 | #23 |
| 2009 | 13,122 | #20 |
| 2008 | 14,686 | #18 |
| 2007 | 15,722 | #16 |
| 2006 | 16,434 | #14 |
| 2005 | 17,990 | #14 |
| 2004 | 19,496 | #12 |
| 2003 | 19,578 | #13 |
| 2002 | 17,658 | #16 |
| 2001 | 18,289 | #15 |
| 2000 | 20,269 | #13 |
| 1999 | 21,014 | #12 |
| 1998 | 20,198 | #17 |
| 1997 | 20,527 | #16 |
| 1996 | 21,809 | #16 |
| 1995 | 23,089 | #15 |
| 1994 | 24,063 | #16 |
| 1993 | 26,727 | #13 |
| 1992 | 27,022 | #13 |
| 1991 | 27,536 | #11 |
| 1990 | 29,263 | #11 |
| 1989 | 28,408 | #13 |
| 1988 | 27,747 | #13 |
| 1987 | 28,490 | #13 |
| 1986 | 29,524 | #11 |
| 1985 | 29,905 | #12 |
| 1984 | 28,724 | #12 |
| 1983 | 27,849 | #13 |
| 1982 | 26,685 | #13 |
| 1981 | 26,811 | #13 |
| 1980 | 24,795 | #15 |
| 1979 | 23,212 | #14 |
| 1978 | 21,322 | #14 |
| 1977 | 21,246 | #16 |
| 1976 | 17,484 | #16 |
| 1975 | 15,296 | #23 |
| 1974 | 13,179 | #25 |
| 1973 | 10,511 | #30 |
| 1972 | 8,878 | #39 |
| 1971 | 6,184 | #51 |
| 1970 | 2,323 | #140 |
| 1969 | 2,245 | #135 |
| 1968 | 2,166 | #131 |
| 1967 | 1,927 | #147 |
| 1966 | 1,573 | #171 |
| 1965 | 1,084 | #221 |
| 1964 | 515 | #345 |
| 1963 | 647 | #310 |
| 1962 | 397 | #405 |
| 1961 | 388 | #402 |
| 1960 | 380 | #408 |
| 1959 | 400 | #397 |
| 1958 | 308 | #446 |
| 1957 | 278 | #460 |
| 1956 | 192 | #546 |
| 1955 | 176 | #553 |
| 1954 | 132 | #636 |
| 1953 | 145 | #600 |
| 1952 | 126 | #623 |
| 1951 | 105 | #680 |
| 1950 | 99 | #684 |
| 1949 | 102 | #677 |
| 1948 | 82 | #743 |
| 1947 | 102 | #685 |
| 1946 | 65 | #812 |
| 1945 | 35 | #1,102 |
| 1944 | 23 | #1,399 |
| 1943 | 34 | #1,170 |
| 1942 | 26 | #1,358 |
| 1941 | 13 | #1,997 |
| 1940 | 18 | #1,627 |
| 1939 | 21 | #1,458 |
| 1938 | 8 | #2,646 |
| 1937 | 14 | #1,913 |
| 1936 | 13 | #1,964 |
| 1935 | 11 | #2,246 |
| 1934 | 13 | #2,022 |
| 1933 | 11 | #2,213 |
| 1932 | 14 | #1,995 |
| 1931 | 15 | #1,927 |
| 1930 | 14 | #2,079 |
| 1929 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1928 | 14 | #2,162 |
| 1927 | 9 | #2,911 |
| 1926 | 14 | #2,186 |
| 1925 | 14 | #2,192 |
| 1924 | 7 | #3,504 |
| 1923 | 10 | #2,771 |
| 1922 | 8 | #3,250 |
| 1921 | 17 | #1,979 |
| 1920 | 12 | #2,458 |
| 1919 | 6 | #3,735 |
| 1918 | 12 | #2,397 |
| 1917 | 8 | #2,955 |
| 1916 | 7 | #3,176 |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 9 | #2,270 |
| 1913 | 7 | #2,272 |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,536 |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 10 | #798 |
Names like Ryan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Dylan Connor Aaron Declan Nathan Kian Ronan Cody Aiden Cameron Kevin Matthew
Other spellings of Ryan
Names related to Ryan
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Nolan Quinn Orla Erin Casey Kennedy Callan Lennon Cillian Sloane Aidan