| Ryan | Liam | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little king | Resolute protector |
| Origin | Irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RY-un | LEE-am |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1906 | 1947 |
| Peak year | 1985 (29,905) | 2024 (22,252) |
| In 2025 | 3,532 | 20,818 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ryan | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,959 | 124,842 |
| 2010s | 91,006 | 174,017 |
| 2000s | 173,244 | 44,940 |
| 1990s | 241,248 | 11,904 |
| 1980s | 278,938 | 1,527 |
| 1970s | 139,635 | 784 |
| 1960s | 11,322 | 400 |
| 1950s | 1,961 | 117 |
| 1940s | 500 | 5 |
| 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.”
Liam is an Irish short form of William, itself from the Germanic Wilhelm — wil (will, desire) plus helm (helmet, protection) — giving the sense “resolute protector” or “strong-willed guardian.”
Liam is more popular than Ryan today: about 20,818 US babies were given the name Liam in 2025, compared with 3,532 named Ryan.
Ryan means Little king (Irish origin), while Liam means Resolute protector (Irish origin).
In US records, Ryan first appears in 1906 and Liam in 1947, so Ryan has the longer recorded history.