There are several different origins for the surname. In some cases it may be a shortened form of O'Ryan, which is an Anglicized adaptation of the Gaelic surname Ó Riain, meaning "descendant of Rian".[1] It can also be a shortened form of Mulryan or O'Mulryan, which are derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoilriain, meaning "descendant of the follower of Rian".[1][2]
The meaning of the Old Irish name Rian is unknown.[3] Some sources have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rían, meaning "water" or "ocean".[4][5] Others have suggested that it is related to the Old Irish word rí, meaning "king".[6][7] Both of these etymologies have been discounted by scholars, however.[3] According to John Ryan, Professor of Early and Medieval History at University College Dublin, "What the Rian in the surnames Ó Riain and Ó Maolriain is has never been satisfactorily explained. Rian, like Niall, seems to be so ancient that its meaning was lost before records began."[3]
Popular modern sources typically suggest that Ryan means "little king"[8][9] or "illustrious".[2][10]
There are also cases in which Ryan is an Americanized form of the German surname Rein.[1]
^ a b cHanks, Patrick (2003). Dictionary of American Family Names. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. p. 242. ISBN 0195081374.
^ a bGrehan, Ida (1997). The Dictionary of Irish Family Names. Lanham, Maryland: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. p. 299. ISBN 1568332246.
^ a b cMacLysaght, Edward (1964). A Guide to Irish Surnames. Helicon. p. 15.
^"Ryan". The Internet Surname Database. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^"rían". eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^O'Boyle, Fragrance (2008). Irish Baby Names. United Kingdom: IBN Publishing. p. 125. ISBN 978-0955805707.
^"rí". eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^Smith, Elsdon C. (1969). American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 88. ISBN 0806311509.
^Rosenkrantz, Linda; Satran, Pamela Redmond (2002). Baby Names Now: From Classic to Cool—The Very Last Word on First Names. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks. p. 419. ISBN 0312983689.
^Grehan, Ida (1997). A little book of Irish family names. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 56. ISBN 0811812863.
Bibliography
Laffan, Thomas (1911). Tipperary Families : Being The Hearth Money Records for 1665–1667. James Duffy & Co.
External links
"Uí Dróna Kingdom" by Niall C. E. J. O'Brien, April 27, 2015, Medieval News
Surname list
This page lists people with the surnameRyan. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.