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Ryan comes from the Irish surname O'Riain, meaning descendent of Ryan. It most likely means "little king," from the word "ri" which is Irish for king. It can be used as a masculine or feminine name, although it is more popular as a boy's name. Ryan is pronounced RY-un, and has several spellings. To feminize the name, it is often spelled Ryann, Ryen, or Ryanne. Other spellings include Ryon, Rien, and Ryun, and derived names include Rylan and Ryland.

Ryan is a very popular name. On a scale of 0-6, it has been ranked a 5.259 in popularity. In the United States for boys, it is the 13th most popular name, and is particularly popular in Delaware and Rhode Island. For girls, Ryan is ranked 452nd. Ryan became a popular boy's name in the United States beginning in the 1970's, and has remained in the top 20 names ever since. It is also a very popular name in Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Famous Ryans include Ryan Seacrest, the host of American Idol, Ryan Philippe, the actor, Ryan Newman, a Nextel Cup driver, and Ryan Anderson, a baseball player. Cal Ripkin Jr., Bridgette Wilson, Marc Anthony, and Pete Sampras all have children named Ryan. Patrick Ryan O'Neal, born in 1941, later shortened his name to Ryan O'Neal, and this famous actor was perhaps the reason for the name's surge in popularity in the 1970's and beyond. Ryan is also a popular surname, as in Meg Ryan and Patty Ryan.

Ryan has many interesting connotations. There are towns named Ryan, including ones in Iowa and Oklahoma. The Australian House of Representatives has an electoral district called the Division of Ryan. RYAN is a Russian Acronym for Raketno-Yadernoe Napadenie intelligence operation, which is "Nuclear Missile Attack" when translated. "Ryan" is also an animated documentary film, as well as an Australian TV series from the 1970's. Other more well-known entertainment associations include "Ryan's Hope" and "Saving Private Ryan."

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