Ryan is a name from Irish Gaelic whose meaning and origin are derived from the old gaelic word "righ" and the old Irish diminutive of "an" which form the meaning of "little king." The modern Irish form of this name is O' Riain - a contraction of the older Irish form O'Mulriain (commonly anglicised as Mulryan) which is now virtually extinct.

The Ryan family motto is 'Malo More Quam Foedari', which, when translated, means 'I would Rather Die than be Disgraced'.

While Ryan remains one of the ten most common surnames in Ireland, it is becoming increasingly common as a given name - particularly in the UK and the US.; see Ryan (given name).

Ryan is such a popular Surname in Ireland, there are many Ryan 'divisions'. Every family has a different name. For example:

• Ryan (Sandy)
• Ryan (Larkin)
• Ryan (Dinny)
• Ryan (Dan)
• Ryan (Thistle)
• Ryan (Lar)
• Ryan (Belfast)
• Ryan (Jervis)
• Ryan (Looby)

People

• Abram Joseph Ryan, Catholic Priest, poet.
• Andrew Ryan, Australian rugby league player
• B.J. Ryan, baseball player
• Barry Ryan (born 1948), English pop singer
• Barry Ryan (born 1949), U.S. Catholic priest
• Bianca Ryan, American singer and America's Got Talent winner
• Blanchard Ryan
• Bo Ryan
• Bob Ryan
• Buddy Ryan
• Chris Ryan
• Christopher Ryan, British actor
• Claude Ryan
• Cornelius Ryan
• Eric Ryan
• Frank Ryan
• Frederick Ryan, Irish playwright and socialist
• George H. Ryan, Former Illinois governor
• Gerry Ryan, Irish radio presenter
• Greg Ryan
• Gig Ryan, Australian Poet
• Harold M. Ryan (b. 1911), U.S. Representative from Michigan
• Irene Ryan (1902–1973), actress
• Jack Ryan, designer
• Jack Ryan, Senate candidate
• Jeri Ryan, U.S. actress
• Jim Ryan (born 1947), Olympic runner and U.S. Congressman
• Jimmy Ryan, 19th century baseball player
• Joan Ryan
• Joe Ryan
• John Ryan, 1857 recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Ryan, 1863 recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Ryan, 1918 recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Dale Ryan
• Kevin Ryan, New Zealand long-distance runner
• Karen Ryan
• Lacy Ryan (c.1694–1760), English actor
• Leo Ryan, Former Congressman from San Francisco, killed at Jonestown
• Lee Ryan English singer and former member of the boyband blue
• Liza Ryan (born 1965), an American photographer
• Lucille Frances Ryan, a.k.a. Lucy Lawless
• Mark F. Ryan, Dr., Irish author and nationalist
• Matthew Ryan
• Meg Ryan (born 1961), U.S. actress
• Michael Ryan
• Michelle Ryan (born 1984), British actress of Irish ancestry
• Miles Ryan
• Nolan Ryan (born 1947), baseball player
• Patrick John Ryan, archbishop
• Patrick Ryan, author and journalist
• Paul Ryan (1948–1992), British singer and songwriter
• Paul Ryan (born 1970), U.S. politician
• Peggy Ryan
• Perry T. Ryan, American author
• Peter Ryan disambiguation
• Phil Ryan, American law enforcement
• Prestin Ryan, Canadian ice hockey player
• Richie Ryan, Irish politician
• Robert Ryan (1909–1973), actor
• Ronald Ryan
• Roz Ryan An Actress
• Tomas Ryan
• Thomas Ryan (1870–1943), Australian politician
• T. Claude Ryan (1898 – 1982), an American aviator and aeronautic engineer
• T. J. Ryan (1876&–1921), Australian politician —Premier of Queensland — also, later, Federal Member for West Sydney
• Thomas Jay Ryan, actor
• Tim Ryan
• Tommy Ryan
• Tony Ryan
• Warren Ryan
• William Patrick Ryan (1867 - 1942), Irish author and 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)
• Jack Ryan (character in several Tom Clancy novels)
• 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
• Nory Ryan - Nory Ryan's Song Main Character in book Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Richie Ryan (fictional character in Highlander: The Series)
• James Ryan - Character in movie Saving Private Ryan