Ryan is an Irish surname, Ó Riain, whose root Rian is of uncertain origin and usually explained as "little king" from rí, king, and a diminutive ending. It was one of the great American boys' names of the 1970s to 2000s, carried by actors Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds. Ryan ranked number 13 in 2000 and number 12 in 2004, has stayed in the US top 100 every year since and is number 99 in 2025.