Ryan
An Irish surname from O'Ryan, meaning descendant of Ryan; the given name behind it may originally have referred to a little king or champion.
The #193 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,152 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ryan is the anglicized form of Irish O'Ryan, with O' meaning 'descendant of.' The surname comes from an older personal name, often explained as related to a word meaning 'little king' or, in some interpretations, a term for a champion or warrior. Because the family name is so old, the exact original sense is not always stated with complete certainty in early sources.
History
Ryan is one of the best-known Irish surnames and became especially widespread through emigration in the 19th century. Nineteenth-century surname dictionaries consistently treat it as Irish and link it to O'Ryan, noting the common loss of the O' prefix in English-language records. Today it is common in Ireland, the United States, Australia, and other English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 1912 surname study listed Ryan among the 20 most common surnames in Ireland, reflecting how widespread it already was before modern diaspora migration.
From the historical record
“RYALU for Ryhall, q.v. . RYALLS, genit., and pi., of Ryall, Ryhall, q.v. RYAN, V. O'Ryan. RYCROFT (Eng.) Dweller at the Rye-Croft [O.E. ryge, rye -1- croft, a small field] The Yorks Rycroft is spelt the same in the 14th cent. RYDE (Eng.) Bel. to Ryde (I.o.W.), anc. La Ride, La Rithe (also La Rye, prob. by con-…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)