Origins of the Ryan surname

What does the name Ryan mean?

The origin of the Ryan surname is believed to be Irish, and it has spread from there to become common across the English-speaking world. It is hypothesised to mostly be an anglicisation of a patronymic, 'O Riain' (descendant of Rian) or 'O Maoilriain' (descendant of the follower of Rian). In Ireland, the name is found to be most frequent in County Tipperary.

Alternative variations of the name Ryan

Ryan, Rian, Ryans, Ryen, Ryn

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Delve deeper into the Ryan family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 598North West 474Isle of Man 30Yorkshire 941East Midlands 102West Midlands 253East 397London 3794South East 988South West 725South Wales 202Mid Wales 38West Wales 2North Wales 17Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Ryans lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

210,000 Ryan Travel & migration records
91,000 Ryans found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Ryan

How common is your surname?

274th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Ryan surname. The oldest one dates back to 1575.

Who were Ryans most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Ryans.

What are the most common Ryan first names?

John

James

Mary

Margaret

Our tell us the names of Ryan family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Ryans

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Ryans in 1921

Laundress

431

Charwoman

387

Servant

311

Dressmaker

290

Domestic Servant

255

Common male occupations for Ryans in 1921

General Labourer

758

Tailor

496

Dock Labourer

403

Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

278

Porter

247

We found over 170,000 family trees with the Ryan surname

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