Ryan
From the Irish surname O Riain, descendant of Rian; Rian is an old given name often connected to ri, the Irish word for king.
Ryan in 2025
Ryan was given to 3,925 babies in the United States in 2025 — 3,532 boys and 393 girls, making it the 148th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 845 babies born.
The history of Ryan
Ryan reached its highest point in 1985, when 30,475 babies were given the name, ranking 14th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 13th, in 2000.
Across the 120 years of records since 1906, 991,747 babies have been named Ryan. Half of them were born before 1991, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Ryan by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ryan | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 | 2,040 |
| 1910s | 55 | 3,755 |
| 1920s | 111 | 4,061 |
| 1930s | 134 | 3,014 |
| 1940s | 500 | 1,504 |
| 1950s | 1,968 | 859 |
| 1960s | 11,400 | 281 |
| 1970s | 141,771 | 18 |
| 1980s | 285,116 | 14 |
| 1990s | 245,245 | 14 |
| 2000s | 179,147 | 13 |
| 2010s | 97,271 | 31 |
| 2020s | 29,019 | 81 |
Where Ryan is heading
Ryan has fallen 57% over the past decade, from 9,228 babies in 2015 to 3,925 in 2025.
Names like Ryan
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ryan.