Ryan (surname)

Ryan (Irish: Ó Riain) is a common surname of Irish origin, as well as being a common given name in the English-speaking world.

For the given name, see Ryan (given name).
"O'Ryan" redirects here. For the American R&B singer, see O'Ryan (singer).

Origins and meaning
Ryan coat of arms at Valley Inn pub, Glenstal, Co. Limerick

There are several different origins for the surname. In some cases it may be a shortened form of O'Ryan, which is an Anglicized adaptation of the Gaelic surname Ó Riain, meaning "descendant of Rian".[1] It can also be a shortened form of Mulryan or O'Mulryan, which are derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoilriain, meaning "descendant of the follower of Rian".[1][2]

The meaning of the Old Irish name Rian is unknown.[3] Some sources have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rían, meaning "water" or "ocean".[4][5] Others have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rí, meaning "king".[6][7] Both of these etymologies have been discounted by scholars, however.[3] According to John Ryan, Professor of Early and Medieval History at University College Dublin, "What the Rian in the surnames Ó Riain and Ó Maolriain is has never been satisfactorily explained. Rian, like Niall, seems to be so ancient that its meaning was lost before records began."[3]

Popular modern sources typically suggest that Ryan means "little king"[8][9] or "illustrious".[2][10]

There are also cases in which Ryan is an Americanized form of the German surname Rein.[1]

List of persons with the surname Ryan

A–D
  • Abram Joseph Ryan (1838–1886), Catholic priest, poet
  • Aileen B. Ryan (1912–1987), New York politician
  • Allan Ryan, American attorney
  • Allan A. Ryan, Jr. (1903–1981), New York financier and politician
  • Amy Ryan (born 1969), American actress
  • Andrew Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Anne Ryan (1889–1954), American artist
  • Anne Ryan (actress) (born 1969), American actress
  • B. J. Ryan (Robert Victor Ryan Jr., born 1975), baseball player
  • Barry Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Bernard Ryan (1900–1921), member of the IRA hanged in Dublin in 1921
  • Bernard Ryan, Jr. (1923–2020), American author
  • Bianca Ryan (born 1994), American singer and America's Got Talent winner
  • Bill Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Billy Ryan (1887–1951), American football player
  • Blanchard Ryan (born 1967), American actress
  • Bo Ryan (William Francis Ryan Jr, born 1947), American basketball coach
  • Bob Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Bobby Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Bruce Ryan (1921–2002), Australian rugby league footballer
  • Buddy Ryan (1931–2016), American football coach
  • C. J. Ryan (1943–2004), British priest and scholar of Italian studies
  • C. W. Ryan (1869–1944), American politician
  • Chris Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Christopher Ryan (born 1950), British actor
  • Claude Ryan (1925–2004), Canadian politician
  • Cornelius Ryan (1920–1974), Irish journalist and author
  • Debby Ryan (born 1993), American actress
  • Donald P. Ryan (born 1957), American archaeologist and writer
  • Donnell Ryan, Federal Court of Australia judge

E–L
  • Edward Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Felix Ryan (1897–1963), Australian rugby league footballer
  • Francis T. Ryan (1862–1927), American Medal of Honor recipient
  • Frank Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Fred Ryan (born 1955), CEO of Politico.com, former aide to Ronald Reagan
  • Frederick Ryan (1876–1913), Irish playwright and socialist
  • George Ryan (born 1934), Governor of Illinois
  • George Ryan (Canadian politician) (1806–1876), New Brunswick politician
  • Gerry Ryan (1956–2010), Irish radio presenter
  • Greg Ryan (born 1957), German-American soccer defender
  • Gig Ryan (born 1956), Australian Poet
  • Harold M. Ryan (1911–2007), U.S. Representative from Michigan
  • Ibolya Ryan, Hungarian-American murder victim
  • Ida Annah Ryan (1873–1950), architect
  • Irene Ryan (1902–1973), actress
  • Jack Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Jane Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Jeff Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Jeri Ryan (born 1968), U.S. actress
  • Jim Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Jimmy Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Joan Ryan (born 1955), UK politician
  • John Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Joseph Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Josephine Ryan (1884–1977), Irish nationalist
  • Katherine Ryan (born 1983), Canadian/Irish comedian, writer, presenter and actress
  • Kathleen Ryan (1922–1985), Irish actress
  • Kathryn Ryan, New Zealand radio journalist
  • Kelleigh Ryan (born 1987), Canadian fencer
  • Kevin Ryan (born 1949), New Zealand long-distance runner
  • Kyle Ryan (born 1991), American baseball player
  • Lacy Ryan, English actor
  • Lance Ryan (born 1971), Canadian operatic tenor
  • Leo Ryan (1925–1978), Congressman from San Francisco, killed at Jonestown
  • Lee Ryan (born 1983), English singer-songwriter and actor
  • Liam Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Liza Ryan (born 1965), American visual artist
  • Lola Ryan (1925–2003), Australian artist
  • Lucille Frances Ryan, better known as Lucy Lawless (born 1968), actress from New Zealand

M–R
  • Marion Ryan (1931–1999), British singer
  • Mark Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Matthew Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Meg Ryan (born 1961), U.S. actress
  • Michael Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Michelle Ryan (born 1984), British actress of Irish ancestry
  • Miles Ryan (1826–1887), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Murray Ryan (1922–2017), American politician
  • Myles and Connor Ryan (born 1995), British singers
  • Nolan Ryan (born 1947), baseball player
  • Patricia Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Patrick Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Paul Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Peggy Ryan (1924–2004), American dancer
  • Perry T. Ryan (born 1962), American author
  • Peter Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Phil Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Phyllis Ryan (1895–1983), Irish chemist and nationalist
  • Phyllis Ryan (actress) (1920–2011), Irish actress
  • Prestin Ryan (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Rex Ryan (born 1962), American football coach; twin brother of Rob
  • Richard Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Richie Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Rob Ryan (born 1962), American football coach; twin brother of Rex
  • Robert Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Ronald Ryan (1925–1967), (Last person to be legally executed in Australia.)
  • Ross Ryan (born 1950), Australian singer-songwriter
  • Roz Ryan (born 1951), American actress

S–Z
  • Séamus Ryan (1895–1933), Irish senator
  • Sheila Ryan, (1921–1975), American actress
  • Sod Ryan (1905–1964), American football player
  • Tomás Ryan (born 1944), Irish hurler
  • Thomas Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • T. Claude Ryan (1898–1982), American aviator and aeronautic engineer
  • T. J. Ryan (Thomas Joseph Ryan, 1876–1921), Australian politician, premier of Queensland
  • T. J. Ryan (hurler) (born 1974), Irish hurler
  • Thomas Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Tim Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Tommy Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Tony Ryan (1936–2007), Irish businessman
  • Tony Ryan (scientist) (born 1962), British polymer chemist
  • Una Ryan (born 1941), Malaysian born biologist
  • Walter D'Arcy Ryan (1870–1934), lighting engineer
  • Warren Ryan (born 1941), Australian rugby league football coach
  • Willard Ryan (1890–1962), American football coach
  • Will Ryan (born 1939), American voice actor, singer, and comedian
  • William Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Yasmine Ryan (ca. 1983 – 2017) New Zealand journalist

Fictional characters
gollark: We must ban them.
gollark: Hydrogen is extremely flammable, and oxygen is a strong oxidising agent.
gollark: It's also made of extremely dangerous chemicals.
gollark: Did you know that DHMO contains major components of strong acids *and* strong alkalis?
gollark: They do, it just typically takes a while.

See also

References
  1. Hanks, Patrick (2003). Dictionary of American Family Names. 3. Oxford University Press. p. 242. ISBN 0195081374.
  2. Grehan, Ida (1997). The Dictionary of Irish Family Names. Lanham, Maryland: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. p. 299. ISBN 1568332246.
  3. MacLysaght, Edward (1964). A Guide to Irish Surnames. Helicon. p. 15.
  4. "Ryan". The Internet Surname Database. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  5. "rían". eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  6. O'Boyle, Fragrance (2008). Irish Baby Names. United Kingdom: IBN Publishing. p. 125. ISBN 0955805708.
  7. "rí". eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  8. Smith, Elsdon C. (1969). American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 88. ISBN 0806311509.
  9. Rosenkrantz, Linda; Satran, Pamela Redmond (2002). Baby Names Now: From Classic to Cool—The Very Last Word on First Names. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks. p. 419. ISBN 0312983689.
  10. Grehan, Ida (1997). A little book of Irish family names. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 56. ISBN 0811812863.

Bibliography
  • Laffan, Thomas (1911). Tipperary Families : Being The Hearth Money Records for 1665-1667. James Duffy & Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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