Ryan (surname)

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

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

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
  • 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), 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 (politician) (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[]

  • Michael Robert Ryan, a murderer from the UK
  • 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
  • Tina Rivers Ryan, American curator, art historian
  • 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 (1949–2021), American voice actor, singer, and comedian
  • William Ryan (disambiguation), several people
  • Yasmine Ryan (c. 1983 – 2017) New Zealand journalist

Fictional characters[]

  • April Ryan, appearing in the computer adventure games The Longest Journey and Dreamfall
  • Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture and a major character in the 2007 video game BioShock
  • 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
  • Burke Ryan, a character in the 2009 American romantic drama movie Love Happens
  • Caitlin Ryan, a character in the Degrassi franchise*
  • Jack Ryan, a separate character and the primary protagonist of the 2007 video game BioShock
  • Jake Ryan, character in Sixteen Candles/Hannah Montana, TV character portrayed by Cody Linley
  • James Francis Ryan, character in the 1998 American war film Saving Private Ryan
  • Kevin Ryan, secondary character of the TV thriller show Castle
  • Mary Ryan, also known aka Blue Mary, a character in the Fatal Fury series and The King of Fighters
  • Mr. Ryan, a character in the 1989 American science fiction comedy movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
  • Nory Ryan, main character in book Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
  • Richie Ryan, fictional character in Highlander: The Series
  • Robert Charles "Rusty" Ryan in Ocean's 11, 12, and 13
  • Professor Sam Ryan, character in the television series Silent Witness
  • Tommy Ryan, a character in the 1997 film Titanic

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Hanks, Patrick (2003). Dictionary of American Family Names. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. p. 242. ISBN 0195081374.
  2. ^ a b Grehan, Ida (1997). The Dictionary of Irish Family Names. Lanham, Maryland: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. p. 299. ISBN 1568332246.
  3. ^ a b c 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.

External links[]

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