Ryan is used as a family name or surname in Ireland. It is 4 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Ryan
No. of characters: 4
Origin: Ireland
Meaning:

Grandson of Rian meaning "little king".

A variant of the O'Ryan. Descendant of the servant of the queen; grandson of Rian or Riaghan, or of follower of Rian or Riaghan.

Ryan is a form of the O'Ryan. This family were lords of Idrone, county of Carlow. The name was not unfrequently written O'Mulryan. O'Ryan, Prince of Idrone, was slain in 1170, by Raymond le Gros, the avant-courier of Strongbow.

See O'Ryan - This family were lords of Idrone, county of Carlow. The name was not unfrequently written O'Mulryan. O'Ryan, Prince of Idrone, was slain in 1170, by Raymond le Gros, the avant-courier of Strongbow.

How popular is Ryan?

Ryan is common in United States, Australia, Ireland, Cambodia, England, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Indonesia, Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Samoa, Morocco, Argentina, Spain, Vanuatu, Norway, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Kenya, Germany, Malaysia, Egypt, Fiji, France, India, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Brazil, China, Bahrain, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Sweden, Dominican Republic, Japan, Switzerland, Montserrat.

Ryan is ranked 1282 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Ryan bearers increased by 2.95 per cent in 2010 US census to 143452 since 2000, the surname slipped by 16 spots and ranked at 193. The last name was found in around 5 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 91.65 93.33
Black 3.02 2.82
Hispanic or Latino 2.55 1.62
Others 1.46 1.17
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.89 0.64
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43 0.42
Ryan is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Montserrat is ahead in terms of density. Around 417955 people have been found who wears Ryan as their family name. Ryan is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Ryan:
171 United States190,579
Countries with ten thousands of Ryan:
19 Australia53,483
5 Ireland48,429
88 Cambodia39,231
160 England37,449
172 Canada20,630
Countries with thousands of Ryan:
94 New Zealand4,121
1,995 South Africa3,432
372 Israel3,027
470 Scotland2,115
137 Wales2,101
348 Northern Ireland1,139
11,854 Indonesia1,129
Countries with hundreds of Ryan:
282 Trinidad and Tobago800
5,622 Saudi Arabia795
12,439 Thailand790
59 Samoa649
11,380 Morocco511
8,457 Argentina426
9,030 Spain408
168 Vanuatu354
1,892 Norway327
81 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines291
13,112 Kenya268
32,466 Germany247
7,881 Malaysia247
25,753 Egypt239
748 Fiji220
49,567 France203
106,713 India197
16,937 Netherlands161
66,982 Philippines161
71,932 Russia159
48,119 Brazil150
600 China149
1,687 Bahrain147
118 Antigua and Barbuda144
1,811 Jamaica136
5,676 Sweden130
3,815 Dominican Republic123
20,699 Japan120
8,338 Switzerland118
2 Montserrat106
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
99 Cayman Islands100
5,764 Denmark100
183 United States Virgin Islands94
473 Bahamas87
19,611 Belgium84
14,121 Papua New Guinea78
13,810 Slovakia75
1,324 Costa Rica74
64,449 Italy74
533 Barbados69
2,366 Hong Kong57
56,996 Iran55
3,050 Panama55
288 Jersey54
198 Saint Kitts and Nevis54
12,566 United Arab Emirates54
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
30,783 Zimbabwe50
9,331 Kuwait48
126 Gibraltar44
40,426 Greece41
1,313 Brunei38
23,844 Mexico38
10,086 Portugal38
3,750 Paraguay36
9,366 Afghanistan33
643 Guam33
41,724 Czechia31
1,126 Iceland31
4,315 Luxembourg30
539 Guernsey29
15,367 Chile27
158,601 Nigeria26
15,343 Botswana22
11,611 Singapore21
20,939 Finland20
958 Isle of Man19
23,436 Peru19
537 South Korea19
2,402 Vietnam19
1,289 Malta18
48,309 Pakistan18
19,343 Iraq16
4,719 New Caledonia16
15,474 Estonia15
75,106 Uganda15
24,362 Venezuela15
101 Anguilla13
40,181 Hungary13
11,840 Taiwan13
13,524 Bangladesh12
5,280 Guyana12
26,891 Qatar12
9,165 Sri Lanka12
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
67,454 Austria10
5,193 Oman10
132,137 Poland10
639 Faroe Islands8
3,219 Puerto Rico8
83,128 Belarus7
1,286 Bermuda7
453 British Virgin Islands7
656 Cook Islands7
25,911 Uruguay7
9,305 Armenia6
107,736 Kazakhstan6
64 Norfolk Island6
8,174 Sudan6
144,247 Turkey6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

During the great famine, 30 years old workman James Ryan who was residing in Ireland migrated to USA on May 11, 1846 by Georgia put out from Liverpool. Briget Ryan (25) Workwoman, 28 years old James Ryan, 29 years old Mary Ryan, 40 years old Pat Ryan, 40 years old Catherine Ryan, 11 years old Catherin Ryan, Nancy Ryan, aged 22, 20 years old Michael Ryan, and 5211 other Ryan around 51.71% of whom were workman while others worked as servant and weaver, tailoress, servant, dressmaker, house maid, butcher, spinster, clerk, baker, mason, blacksmith, shop keeper, farmer, barrel maker/ cooper, carpenter, collier, cook, matron, spinner, gardner/grower, stone cutter, mechanic, seamstress, bricklayer, smith, lawyer, plasterer, pastery maker, miller, miner, sail maker, shoemaker, brickmaker, caster or moulder/molder, house keeper, confectioner, sawyer, farm laborer, binder, herd, ostler, gentleman, nailer, milliner, bootmaker, laundry man/ ironer, joiner, merchant, clothier, paper stainer, sheap dealer or shepherd, nurse, cobbler, agriculturer, victualler, manufacturer, farmers &, mechanics migrated to US.

From Italy

Maria Ryan worked as tailor and hailed from Iron Mountain, Italy. 53 years old embarked for New York from Genoa & Gibraltar on Fulda and arrived on August 18, 1896.

From Germany

Margaret Ryan worked as farmer and hailed from Germany. 59 years old embarked for USA from London on London and arrived on January 21, 1854. 27 years old William Ryan, John Ryan, aged 29, Mary Ryan (22), Catherine Ryan, Laborer Jane Ryan, 17 years old Catherine Ryan, Johanna Ryan, Gerhard Ryan (25) Laborer, Laborer John Ryan, 30 years old J.J. Ryan, and 2 other Ryan around 60% of whom were laborer migrated to US from Liverpool & Queenstown, Glasgow & Larne, Bremen, Antwerp and Hamburg.

Ryan Namesakes

  • Cornelius Ryan, Irish journalist and author mainly
  • Thomas F. Ryan, Canadian sportsman and entrepreneur
  • Lacy Ryan, English actor
  • Marah Ellis Ryan, author, actress
  • James M. Ryan, businessman
  • Abram Joseph Ryan, American poet
  • Lynsay Ryan, Canadian singer/musician/songwriter
  • William Fitts Ryan, American lawyer and politician
  • Michael Clarkson Ryan, American attorney and one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi
  • Margaret Ryan, children's writer currently residing in St
  • J. Brendan Ryan, vice chairman of DraftFCB Worldwide
  • Lisa Ryan, American author and speaker
  • Perry T. Ryan, American lawyer
  • Elmer Ryan, United States Representative from Minnesota
  • Thomas Jay Ryan, American stage and film actor
  • Donald P. Ryan, American archaeologist, Egyptologist
  • James Wilfrid Ryan, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Naomi Ryan, British actress
  • Kevin A. Ryan, founder and director emeritus of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University
  • Patrick Joseph Ryan,
  • Mel Ryan, English first-class cricketer
  • William F. Ryan, American checkers player
  • Terence Ryan, British film director, writer, and producer
  • Martin Ryan, Irish Fianna Fáil politician
  • Thomas Jefferson Ryan, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Dave "Chico" Ryan, in Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
  • Frederick Ryan, Irish, Dublin-born playwright
  • William Patrick Ryan, Irish author and journalist
  • Mark F. Ryan, Irish revolutionary
  • James Hugh Ryan, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Patrick John Ryan, Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Sylvester Donovan Ryan, retired Roman Catholic bishop
  • Lyndall Ryan, Australian academic and historian
  • Stephen V. Ryan, Canadian-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Dermot Ryan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin
  • Meg Ryan, American actress and producer
  • Nolan Ryan, Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr
  • Christopher Ryan, English actor best
  • Jeri Ryan, American actress best
  • Leo Ryan, Leo Joseph Ryan Jr
  • Paul Ryan, Paul Davis Ryan Jr
  • George Ryan, George Homer Ryan Sr
  • Joan Ryan, British Labour Party politician
  • Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician
  • John Dale Ryan, seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
  • Thomas Fortune Ryan, American tobacco
  • Bob Ryan, American sportswriter formerly for 'The Boston Globe'
  • Irene Ryan, American actress
  • Tony Ryan, Irish billionaire, philanthropist and businessman
  • Eamon Ryan, Irish Green Party politician
  • Michelle Ryan, English actress
  • Robert Ryan, American actor
  • Warren Ryan, Australian former professional rugby league football coach and player
  • Gerry Ryan, Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
  • Ronald Ryan, last person to be legally executed in Australia

Ryan Namesakes

  • Cornelius Ryan, Irish journalist and author mainly
  • Thomas F. Ryan, Canadian sportsman and entrepreneur
  • Lacy Ryan, English actor
  • Marah Ellis Ryan, author, actress
  • James M. Ryan, businessman
  • Abram Joseph Ryan, American poet
  • Lynsay Ryan, Canadian singer/musician/songwriter
  • William Fitts Ryan, American lawyer and politician
  • Michael Clarkson Ryan, American attorney and one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi
  • Margaret Ryan, children's writer currently residing in St
  • J. Brendan Ryan, vice chairman of DraftFCB Worldwide
  • Lisa Ryan, American author and speaker
  • Perry T. Ryan, American lawyer
  • Elmer Ryan, United States Representative from Minnesota
  • Thomas Jay Ryan, American stage and film actor
  • Donald P. Ryan, American archaeologist, Egyptologist
  • James Wilfrid Ryan, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Naomi Ryan, British actress
  • Kevin A. Ryan, founder and director emeritus of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University
  • Patrick Joseph Ryan,
  • Mel Ryan, English first-class cricketer
  • William F. Ryan, American checkers player
  • Terence Ryan, British film director, writer, and producer
  • Martin Ryan, Irish Fianna Fáil politician
  • Thomas Jefferson Ryan, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Dave "Chico" Ryan, in Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
  • Frederick Ryan, Irish, Dublin-born playwright
  • William Patrick Ryan, Irish author and journalist
  • Mark F. Ryan, Irish revolutionary
  • James Hugh Ryan, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Patrick John Ryan, Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Sylvester Donovan Ryan, retired Roman Catholic bishop
  • Lyndall Ryan, Australian academic and historian
  • Stephen V. Ryan, Canadian-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Dermot Ryan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin
  • Meg Ryan, American actress and producer
  • Nolan Ryan, Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr
  • Christopher Ryan, English actor best
  • Jeri Ryan, American actress best
  • Leo Ryan, Leo Joseph Ryan Jr
  • Paul Ryan, Paul Davis Ryan Jr
  • George Ryan, George Homer Ryan Sr
  • Joan Ryan, British Labour Party politician
  • Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician
  • John Dale Ryan, seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
  • Thomas Fortune Ryan, American tobacco
  • Bob Ryan, American sportswriter formerly for 'The Boston Globe'
  • Irene Ryan, American actress
  • Tony Ryan, Irish billionaire, philanthropist and businessman
  • Eamon Ryan, Irish Green Party politician
  • Michelle Ryan, English actress
  • Robert Ryan, American actor
  • Warren Ryan, Australian former professional rugby league football coach and player
  • Gerry Ryan, Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
  • Ronald Ryan, last person to be legally executed in Australia

Related Family Names: