Baby Name Popularity Profile

Ryan

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Ryan.

✦ Little king 🌍 Irish royal traditional
National Rank (2025) #99
All-Time Peak Rank #11 Achieved 1986
Total U.S. Births 964,123 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 94.0% Boy / 6.0% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1906 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1980s 29,905 births in 1985
💡 The Ryan Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Little king
Language Origin Irish
Origin Type single
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Riain, meaning 'descendant of Rian'. Rian is thought to be derived from the Old Irish word 'rí' (king) combined with a diminutive suffix '-án'.
Common Nicknames
Ry
Alternative Spellings
Rian Ryann
Pronunciation: RYE-an
Themes & Categories
royal traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Ryan

According to SSA data, Ryan achieved its highest historical rank of #11 in 1986. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1985 with 29,905 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 58.7%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 110 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Ryan across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -58.7% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 29,905 births in 1985
Years in Top 100 55 yrs
Years in Top 500 69 yrs
Registry Streak 110 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 10
1910s: 55
1920s: 111
1930s: 134
1940s: 500
1950s: 1,961
1960s: 11,322
1970s: 139,635
1980s: 278,938
1990s: 241,248
2000s: 173,244
2010s: 91,006
2020s: 25,959

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Ry-an
Letter Count 4 letters
Spelling Complexity Easy
Length Percentile Longer than 1.4% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 1.4% of SSA names. Starts with R, a letter used by only 4.7% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Ryan.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State New Hampshire
Top States New Hampshire, Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii, Delaware
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
New Hampshire #64 6,023 1989 14.8% Decline
Alaska #161 2,508 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #153 5,515 1990 32.3% Decline
Hawaii #123 4,805 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware #90 3,139 1991 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #146 12,415 1977 19.6% Decline
Oregon #118 13,281 1981 24.4% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 1,941 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #123 22,936 1983 34.3% Decline
Idaho #161 5,453 1977 30.8% Decline
Connecticut #52 14,991 1990 40.8% Decline
Vermont Unranked 2,344 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #109 16,147 1986 4.5% Decline
Arizona #153 15,634 1987 38.5% Decline
Minnesota #173 23,278 1981 38.1% Decline
Maine #168 5,512 1982 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #44 34,321 1990 30.7% Decline
Rhode Island #89 4,527 1992 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #159 24,309 1981 30.5% Decline
Maryland #73 18,390 1993 38.1% Decline
Florida #68 40,817 1990 18.3% Decline
Massachusetts #49 29,170 1985 26.9% Decline
California #80 118,696 1990 34.8% Decline
North Dakota #147 3,995 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Montana #195 3,547 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska #183 8,145 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #152 41,408 1981 52.5% Decline
Iowa #155 14,447 1977 +7.7% Growth
South Dakota #251 3,566 1977 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #162 24,392 1984 34.2% Decline
Ohio #155 46,413 1986 41.6% Decline
Pennsylvania #76 53,033 1990 40.6% Decline
Kansas #173 10,218 1981 41.0% Decline
Illinois #103 47,579 1985 46.5% Decline
New Mexico #210 5,129 1991 63.0% Decline
Missouri #148 21,125 1985 48.9% Decline
Virginia #73 21,132 1992 27.0% Decline
New York #45 64,687 1993 36.6% Decline
Oklahoma #261 10,715 1984 55.8% Decline
Texas #112 57,112 1991 28.0% Decline
Louisiana #153 12,564 1985 45.2% Decline
Georgia #134 17,167 1992 29.1% Decline
North Carolina #140 17,059 1992 34.3% Decline
District of Columbia #96 2,599 1988 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #366 5,389 1991 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #190 9,842 1991 26.8% Decline
Tennessee #137 10,951 1990 24.5% Decline
South Carolina #125 7,440 1993 27.9% Decline
Arkansas #266 5,345 1987 57.6% Decline
Alabama #162 7,281 1994 39.0% Decline
Mississippi #188 4,226 1993 55.3% Decline

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Adam Aaron Jesse Daniel Andrew Matthew Joshua Benjamin Jonathan Christopher
👧 Sister Suggestions
Sara Sarah Ashley Nina Erin Dara Cara Noel Echo Lacy

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