| Ryan | Aiden | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little king | Little fire |
| Origin | Irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RY-un | AY-den |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1906 | 1970 |
| Peak year | 1985 (29,905) | 2009 (16,030) |
| In 2025 | 3,532 | 5,046 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ryan | Aiden |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,959 | 42,793 |
| 2010s | 91,006 | 129,675 |
| 2000s | 173,244 | 83,554 |
| 1990s | 241,248 | 1,642 |
| 1980s | 278,938 | 76 |
| 1970s | 139,635 | 25 |
| 1960s | 11,322 | 0 |
| 1950s | 1,961 | 0 |
| 1940s | 500 | 0 |
| 1930s | 134 | 0 |
| 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.”
Aiden (Aidan) is from the Irish Aodhán, a diminutive of Aodh, the name of a Celtic sun and fire god — hence the sense “little fire.”
Aiden is more popular than Ryan today: about 5,046 US babies were given the name Aiden in 2025, compared with 3,532 named Ryan.
Ryan means Little king (Irish origin), while Aiden means Little fire (Irish origin).
In US records, Ryan first appears in 1906 and Aiden in 1970, so Ryan has the longer recorded history.