| Ryan | Aidan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little king | Little fire |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RY-un | AY-dən |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1906 | 1936 |
| Peak year | 1985 (29,905) | 2003 (10,067) |
| In 2025 | 3,532 | 1,043 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ryan | Aidan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,959 | 6,955 |
| 2010s | 91,006 | 25,446 |
| 2000s | 173,244 | 76,513 |
| 1990s | 241,248 | 8,783 |
| 1980s | 278,938 | 465 |
| 1970s | 139,635 | 172 |
| 1960s | 11,322 | 71 |
| 1950s | 1,961 | 21 |
| 1940s | 500 | 0 |
| 1930s | 134 | 5 |
| 1920s | 111 | 0 |
| 1910s | 55 | 0 |
| 1900s | 10 | 0 |
Ryan is anglicised from the Irish surname Ó Riain, “descendant of Rían,” a name linked to rí, “king” — hence the popular gloss “little king.”
Anglicized form of Aodhan, a diminutive of the Old Irish name Aodh, which means 'fire' and was borne by a Celtic sun/fire god. The name therefore reads as 'little fire' or 'fiery one'.
Ryan is more popular than Aidan today: about 3,532 US babies were given the name Ryan in 2025, compared with 1,043 named Aidan.
Ryan means Little king (Irish origin), while Aidan means Little fire (irish origin).
In US records, Ryan first appears in 1906 and Aidan in 1936, so Ryan has the longer recorded history.