Ryan

Ryan derives from the Irish surname Ó Riain, meaning descendant of Rían, where the personal name Rían is believed to come from the Old Irish element rí, meaning king, possibly with a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by a large and prominent Munster clan in Ireland before being adopted as a given name in the English-speaking world during the twentieth century. Its popularity spread widely across the United States, Canada, and Australia from the 1970s onward. Related forms include Ryann and Rian.