# Ryan (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ryan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish, an anglicization of Ó Riaghain, Ó Riain (literally “descendant of Riaghan, Rian”).

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 143,452 |
| US rank (2010) | 193 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,152 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.0% (139,335 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹaɪən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Rian, Ryann, Ryanne, Ryana |

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ryan in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 92% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 3.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ryan in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium and West Germany.

## People named Ryan

- Meg Ryan, American actress (born 1961)
- Debby Ryan, American singer and actress (born 1993)
- Kate Ryan, Belgian singer and songwriter
- Mathew Ryan, Australian association football player
- Robert Ryan, American actor (1909-1973)
- Jeri Ryan, American actress
- Amy Ryan, American actress (born 1968)
- Mitchell Ryan, American actor (1934–2022)
- Michelle Ryan, British actress
- Leo Ryan, American politician (1925–1978)
- Nolan Ryan, American baseball player (born 1947)
- Tim Ryan, American politician (born 1973)

and 61 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Ryon, Rana, Rahn, Ruan, Roan, Rani, Rain, Reyna, Romo, Rainey, Ramey, Rooney.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.