Rian is the Irish spelling of Ryan, from the surname Ó Riain, which is built on the word rí, "king", and is usually read as "little king". While Ryan became an American favorite in the 1970s, Rian stayed closer to its Irish roots and is also used in the Netherlands. In the United States Rian reached its best rank of number 1,063 in 2021 and sits at number 1,250 in 2025.