The name Ryan comes from the Irish surname Ó Riain and Irish name Rian, which is believed to be derived from the Irish word rí, meaning "king." Many parents translate it to "little king" due to the suffix at the end. Ryan started gaining popularity in the mid-1900s, but didn't crack the top-200 until 1966. It has now been a top-100 boy's name every year since 1971 and even spent 34 years (1976 to 2009) inside the top-20.
