Parent’s name

Ryan surname meaning

Irish patronymic from Ó Riain, “descendant of Rian”; the old personal name Rian has no agreed surviving meaning.

Confidence: Likely
US frequency: Rank 201 · 137,599 people
Common variants: O'Ryan, Mulryan, O Riain

Confidence: Likely. The main story is well supported; some details of the deeper root are less certain.

The short story

Ryan is chiefly an Irish patronymic, an English spelling of Ó Riain, “descendant of Rian.” It can also represent the related Ó Maoilriain, or Mulryan, and some American families have an unrelated form of German Rein. The attractive gloss “little king” is common in popular lists, but the older meaning of Rian is not securely known; scholars have cautioned against treating it as settled. Parent’s name is therefore the best type, while likely acknowledges the surname’s strong Irish lead and its additional streams.

Also seen as: O'Ryan, Mulryan, O Riain

Sources used

Wikipedia “Ryan (surname)” (Ó Riain and Mulryan origins; Rian unresolved)
Ancestry/DAFN 2022: Ryan (Irish patronymic and other American forms)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)