Ryan

Origins and meaning

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". 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".

The meaning of the Old Irish name Rian is unknown. Some sources have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rían, meaning "water" or "ocean". Others have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rí, meaning "king". Both of these etymologies have been discounted by scholars, however. 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."

Popular modern sources typically suggest that Ryan means "little king" or "illustrious".

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

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 A. Ryan, Jr. (1903–1981), New York financier and politician

Allan Ryan (1945–2023), American attorney

Ally Ryan, American singer

Amy Ryan (born 1969), American actress

Andrew Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Anne Ryan (actress) (born 1969), American actress

Anne Ryan (artist) (1889–1954), American artist

Archie Ryan (cyclist) (born 2001), Irish professional racing cyclist

B. J. Ryan (Robert Victor Ryan Jr., born 1975), baseball player

Barry Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Beatrice Judd Ryan (c. 1880–1966), Australian-American art dealer, curator

Ben Ryan, rugby union coach

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), multiple people

E–L

Edward Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Eileen Ryan (1927–2022), American actress

Ethel Ryan (1886–1971), American politician

Felix Ryan (1897–1963), Australian rugby league footballer

Francis T. Ryan (1862–1927), American Medal of Honor recipient

Frank Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Fred Ryan (born 1955), CEO of Politico.com, former aide to Ronald Reagan

Frederick Ryan (1876–1913), Irish playwright and socialist

Gene Ryan (1867—c. 1938), British actor

George Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Gerry Ryan (1956–2010), Irish radio presenter

Gig Ryan (born 1956), Australian poet

Greg Ryan (born 1957), German-American soccer defender

Harold M. Ryan (1911–2007), U.S. Representative from Michigan

Ibolya Ryan, Hungarian-American murdered by an Arab in Abu Dhabi

Ida Annah Ryan (1873–1950), American architect

Ida Mary Barry Ryan (1854–1917), American philanthropist

Irene Ryan (1902–1973), actress

M–R

Marion Ryan (1931–1999), British singer

Mark Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Matthew Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Meg Ryan (born 1961), U.S. actress

Michael Robert Ryan, a murderer from the UK

Michael Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Michelle K. Ryan (born 1973), Australian psychologist and academic

Michelle Ryan (born 1984), British actress

Michelle Ryan, Australian choreographer, artistic director of Restless Dance Company

Miles Ryan (1826–1887), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross

Mitchell Ryan (1934–2022), American actor

Murray Ryan (American politician) (1922–2017), American politician

Myles and Connor Ryan (born 1995), British singers

Natalie Ryan, American disc golfer

Nicky Ryan (1946–2025), Irish music producer, recording engineer, and manager

Nolan Ryan (born 1947), baseball player

Patricia Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Patrick Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

S–Z

Scott Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Séamus Ryan (1895–1933), Irish senator

Sean Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Shannon Ryan (born 1996), English professional boxer

Shawn Ryan (born 1966), American screenwriter and producer

Sheila Ryan, (1921–1975), American actress

Sod Ryan (1905–1964), American football player

T. Claude Ryan (1898–1982), American aviator and aeronautic engineer

T. J. Ryan (hurler) (born 1974), Irish hurler

T. J. Ryan (Thomas Joseph Ryan, 1876–1921), Australian politician, premier of Queensland

Thomas Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Tim Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Tina Rivers Ryan, American curator, art historian

Tomás Ryan (born 1944), Irish hurler

Tommy Ryan (disambiguation), multiple people

Tony Ryan (1936–2007), Irish businessman

Tony Ryan (scientist) (born 1962), British polymer chemist

Una Ryan (born 1941), Malaysian born biologist

Fictional characters

Allison Ryan, a character played by Nicole Eggert in the 2008 movie Loaded

Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture and a major character in the 2007 video game BioShock

April Ryan, appearing in the computer adventure games The Longest Journey and Dreamfall

Aran Ryan, an opponent in Super NES video game Super Punch-Out!!

Archie Ryan, the pseudonym of Lincoln Burrows, a fictional character from the television show Prison Break

Barbara Ryan, character in the soap opera As the World Turns

Beth Ryan, a character in the 1987 movie Throw Momma from the Train

Bill, Emily, Lulu, and Sandy Ryan, characters from American television sitcom United We Fall

Burke Ryan, a character in the 2009 American romantic drama movie Love Happens

Caitlin Ryan, a character in the Degrassi franchise

Frank Ryan, a character in the 1934 film The Man Who Changed His Name

Jack Ryan, a separate character and the primary protagonist of the 2007 video game BioShock

Jack Ryan, in Tom Clancy books and film adaptations

Jake Ryan, character in Sixteen Candles/Hannah Montana, TV character portrayed by Cody Linley