Ryan
A unisex given name. A male given name.
Every Ryan since 1906 — 991,747 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ryan
Ryan is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #99 in 2025 with 3,532 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1906, 991,747 American babies have been named Ryan. Its peak came in 1985, when 30,475 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ryan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ryan year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | #715 | 3,532 | #99 |
| 2024 | 400 | #703 | 3,906 | #87 |
| 2023 | 433 | #677 | 4,035 | #83 |
| 2022 | 515 | #580 | 4,403 | #74 |
| 2021 | 635 | #496 | 4,735 | #66 |
| 2020 | 684 | #451 | 5,348 | #57 |
| 2019 | 773 | #401 | 6,127 | #54 |
| 2018 | 869 | #363 | 6,943 | #46 |
| 2017 | 773 | #410 | 7,706 | #44 |
| 2016 | 688 | #463 | 8,261 | #40 |
| 2015 | 680 | #476 | 8,548 | #39 |
| 2014 | 606 | #513 | 9,098 | #37 |
| 2013 | 438 | #646 | 9,895 | #30 |
| 2012 | 467 | #616 | 10,944 | #26 |
| 2011 | 506 | #575 | 11,503 | #25 |
| 2010 | 465 | #631 | 11,981 | #23 |
| 2009 | 527 | #579 | 13,122 | #20 |
| 2008 | 575 | #537 | 14,686 | #18 |
| 2007 | 706 | #457 | 15,722 | #16 |
| 2006 | 689 | #459 | 16,434 | #14 |
| 2005 | 676 | #450 | 17,990 | #14 |
| 2004 | 700 | #435 | 19,496 | #12 |
| 2003 | 598 | #487 | 19,578 | #13 |
| 2002 | 519 | #531 | 17,658 | #16 |
| 2001 | 465 | #560 | 18,289 | #15 |
| 2000 | 448 | #582 | 20,269 | #13 |
| 1995 | 354 | #621 | 23,089 | #15 |
| 1990 | 451 | #526 | 29,263 | #11 |
| 1985 | 570 | #394 | 29,905 | #12 |
| 1980 | 602 | #384 | 24,795 | #15 |
| 1975 | 139 | #927 | 15,296 | #23 |
| 1970 | 24 | #2,918 | 2,323 | #140 |
| 1965 | 6 | #6,374 | 1,084 | #221 |
| 1960 | 5 | #7,120 | 380 | #408 |
| 1955 | — | — | 176 | #554 |
| 1950 | — | — | 99 | #690 |
| 1945 | — | — | 35 | #1,118 |
| 1940 | — | — | 18 | #1,674 |
| 1935 | — | — | 11 | #2,375 |
| 1930 | — | — | 14 | #2,155 |
| 1925 | — | — | 14 | #2,302 |
| 1920 | — | — | 12 | #2,580 |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Ryan
- Ryan O'Neal Actor · b. 1941
- Ryan Reynolds Actor · b. 1976
- Ryan Gosling Actor · b. 1980
- Ryan Giggs Soccer player · b. 1973
- Ryan Phillippe Actor · b. 1974
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ryan mean?
A unisex given name. A male given name.
How popular is the name Ryan in 2025?
Ryan ranked #99 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 3,532 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ryan?
991,747 babies have been named Ryan in the United States since 1906, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ryan most popular?
Ryan peaked in 1985, when 30,475 newborns received the name.
Is Ryan a boy or girl name?
Ryan is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 97% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ryan rising or falling?
Ryan is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Ryan?
Well-known people named Ryan include Ryan O'Neal (actor), Ryan Reynolds (actor), Ryan Gosling (actor).