Total births
964,123
Boys' name · since 1906
Ryan
Since 1906, U.S. Social Security records show 964,123 babies named Ryan, peaking in 1985. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #87
- among boys today
- 964,123
- born since 1906
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Ryan currently ranks #87 among boys' names in America, with 964,123 babies recorded since 1906.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ryan has been recorded 964,123 times among boys since 1906, currently ranked #87 nationally and more common than 99.4% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1906 to 2025.
- #87 among boys today
- 964,123 born since 1906
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.4% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ryan is currently the #87 boys' name in America, more common than 99.4% of boys - 964,123 born since 1906, peaking in the 1980s.
- #87
- among boys today
- 964,123
- born since 1906
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Ryan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#87
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.4% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Ryan was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
29,905 babies were named Ryan in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Ryan compares
964,123 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ryan's all-time total is 2,627x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ryan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 964,123 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 29,905 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ryan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ryan's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1911, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1985 peak of 29,905, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ryan at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1985
Current rank
#87
Active since
1906
Ryan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1906–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 29,905
- Annual births at peak, across 120 years of records
Ryan popularity over time - girls
27,624 total births recorded since 1959 (Ryan as girls' name)
Ryan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Ryan's strongest decade.
278,938 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Ryan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s 55
1910s
55 births
- 1920s 111
1920s
111 births
- 1930s 134
1930s
134 births
- 1940s 500
1940s
500 births
- 1950s 1,961
1950s
1,961 births
- 1960s 11,322
1960s
11,322 births
- 1970s
1970s
139,635 births
- 1980s
1980s
278,938 births
- 1990s
1990s
241,248 births
- 2000s
2000s
173,244 births
- 2010s 91,006
2010s
91,006 births
- 2020s 25,959
2020s
25,959 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 278,938 births (29% of all-time use).
How Ryan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ryan's total volume
Ryan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ryan by state
Where Ryan concentrates geographically, total births since 1906
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 118,696 | 12.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 64,687 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 57,112 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 53,033 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 47,579 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 46,413 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 41,408 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 40,817 | 4.2% |
California share of Ryan's total US births 12.3%
Even split
118,696 of 964,123 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ryan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ryan? ▼
Ryan has been given to 964,123 babies in the U.S. since 1906, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #87 as of the latest data. 29,905 babies were born in 1985, its single highest year.
When was Ryan most popular? ▼
Ryan was most popular in the 1980s decade with 278,938 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Ryan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ryan are California (118,696 births), New York (64,687 births), Texas (57,112 births).
How long has the name Ryan been used? ▼
Records for Ryan go back to 1906, giving 120 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ryan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ryatt, Ryann, Ryaan, Ryat, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ryan's data
- Ryan's decade-level peak was the 1980s (278,938 total births); usage has since declined to 25,959 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ryans (118,696 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ryan
Nearby Names Like Ryan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ryan
Ryatt Boy
#753 2,502 births
Ryann Boy
#8490 761 births
Ryaan Boy
#8058 257 births
Ryat Boy
#4069 86 births
Ryane Boy
58 births
Compare Ryan side by side: Ryan vs Ryatt Ryan vs Ryann Ryan vs Ryaan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ryan
Micah #86
119,571 births · Peak 2022
August #88
68,182 births · Peak 2025
Everett #85
135,900 births · Peak 2025
Gael #89
49,079 births · Peak 2024
Leonardo #84
96,066 births · Peak 2019
Robert #90
4,849,730 births · Peak 1947
Jonathan #83
870,866 births · Peak 1988
Jose #91
592,512 births · Peak 2002
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1906–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ryan: #87 Boys' Name - 964,123 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ryan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ryan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.