Ryan Family History

Ryan Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened form of O'Ryan an Anglicized form of Ó Riaghain (modern Irish Ó Riain) ‘descendant of Riaghan’ a personal name probably based on the word rí ‘king’. Ryan is one of the commonest surnames in Ireland though there has been considerable confusion with Regan.

Irish: shortened from Mulryan (Ó Maoilriaghain). Irish: from Ó Ruaidhín or Ó Ruadháin ‘descendant of the little red one’ more usually Anglicized Rowan.

Americanized form of German Rein. Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Ryan in Trøndelag of obscure origin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Cryan, Yan, Rhyan, Bryan, Gean, Ryon, Ryans, Ronan, Bean, Ryant

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
212K	Military Records
250K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Ryan family from?

You can see how Ryan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ryan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ryan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,677 Ryan families living in Lancashire. This was about 30% of all the recorded Ryan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Ryan families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ryan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Ryan

What did your Ryan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ryan. 15% of Ryan men worked as a General labourer and 61% of Ryan women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ryan were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Ryan

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

15%

Builders labourer

Dock labourer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

61%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic servant

Housewife

What Ryan family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Ryan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ryan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ryan

Passenger List

There are 250K immigration records available for the last name Ryan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ryan immigration records

Military Records

There are 212K military records available for the last name Ryan. For the veterans among your Ryan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ryan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ryan family history

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What is the average Ryan lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ryan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Ryan in 1940 was 62, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ryan family tree

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Ryan Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened from Mulryan (Ó Maoilriaghain). Irish: from Ó Ruaidhín or Ó Ruadháin ‘descendant of the little red one’ more usually Anglicized Rowan.

Americanized form of German Rein. Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Ryan in Trøndelag of obscure origin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Ryan family from?

What did your Ryan ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

15%

Builders labourer

Dock labourer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

61%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic servant

Housewife

What Ryan family records will you find?

What is the average Ryan lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ryan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Ryan in 1940 was 62, and 75 in 2004.

Ryan Family History

Ryan Surname Meaning

4 million record(s) for Ryan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Ryan family from?

What did your Ryan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Ryan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Ryan family history

What is the average Ryan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ryan family tree

Search for another surname

Ryan Surname Meaning

4 million record(s) for Ryan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Ryan family from?

What did your Ryan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Ryan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Ryan family history

What is the average Ryan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ryan family tree

Search for another surname