Irish Surname Series: The Ryan Clan
Posted by Andy Peters on 13th Feb 2019
It’s one of the most common names in America as well as Ireland. But in addition to its widespread presence on both sides of the Atlantic, the name Ryan also has a long history with many famous bearers.
It’s not clear when and where the earliest version of the name Ryan appeared, or even which of several candidates is the exact source of the name. The first appearance of the name was in Ireland in the 15th century in the Gaelic forms Ó Maoilriaghain and Ó Maoilriain, meaning “descendant of a devotee of St Riaghan.” It was the name of a Gaelic clan based in County Tipperary and County Limerick. The name Ó Riain, meaning simply “descendent of Riain,” is thought to actually be a different family tree that hails from County Carlow. There is also a strand of thinking that Ryan derived from the name Ó Ruaidhin, which means “descendent of the little red one.”
Since the Middle Ages, the name has gone through a large number of derivational spellings, with the Anglicized version of the spelling of Ryan becoming the most widespread. The spelling of Ryan is, itself, essentially a simplified version of an earlier Anglicized version of Mulryan. There are, however, still some people who use the name O’Ryan.
Regardless of which variation of the source you prefer, or indeed where your ancestors hailed from, it’s thought that the name was tied to royal lineage, either the Heremon Kings of Ireland, or perhaps the baronies in Limerick and Tipperary. The Ryan coat of arms is made of a red shield with three silver griffin heads making up its imagery. The Ryan family motto in Latin is “Malo More Quam Foedari”, which means “I would rather die than be disgraced.”
Ryan is now one of the 10 most common names in Ireland. It’s also one of the most common names in the U.S. and Canada, with many of its bearers living in the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. While Ryan has become an extremely popular first name for men, it of course has had a very large number of famous historic figures, celebrities and fictional characters carry it on as a last name. Let’s take a look at some of these!
In Ireland, there's Eamonn Ó Riain, also known as Eamonn an Chnoic. this Robin Hood-type character lived in County Tipperary in the 17th Century and is said to have become a bandit after shooting a tax collector who was trying to extract money from a destitute woman. Eamonn an Chnoic, which means Ned of the Hill, is not a historically verified person, although there are enough tales of him spread about that most people think he did live.
Another Ryan of mythical proportions is Luke Ryan. An officer in the Irish Brigade in France in the 18th Century, Ryan’s primary claim to fame is his leadership of a brigade of pirates called the Black Fleet. Ryan’s said to have led these pirates under secret order from Benjamin Franklin in the Revolutionary War. He made contact with Franklin whilst locked up in a French prison while Franklin was the U.S. ambassador to France. Franklin was drawn to Ryan due to the lore of his success in raiding British vessels and extracting large ransoms, both skills that would be highly prized in the War of Independence.
Actress Meg Ryan. (Flickr)
There are several Ryans who have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. First, there's Meg Ryan, who is best known for her sunny disposition, blonde hair and slightly offbeat personality. She made her fame through roles in romantic-comedy movies in the 1990s like Sleepless in Seattle with Tom Hanks, When Harry Met Sally with Billy Crystal, French Kiss with Kevin Kline and You’ve Got Mail, also with Tom Hanks. She has also appeared in a few dramas, like The Doors with Val Kilmer and Courage Under Fire with Denzel Washington. Of late, she’s become engaged to the Midwestern rocker John Mellencamp.
There's also Irene Ryan, an American actress best known for her portrayal of Granny in the TV series Beverly Hillbillies. Ryan started out in vaudeville and had a long career on stage and in film. Her mother was born in Ireland. Debbie Ryan got her start on the Disney Channel in The Suite Life on Deck and later appeared in the Disney movie 16 Wishes. And Jeri Ryan is an actress best known for her portrayal of Borg in the Star Trek Voyager series.
Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. (U.S. House of Representatives)
Politics also has its fair share of Ryans, including the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan. This Wisconsin Republican was also the vice presidential running mate of Mitt Romney in 2012. Ryan worked as a legislative aide to leading Republican lawmakers before deciding to enter politics himself. He retired from Congress in 2018. But there's also George Ryan, the former Republican governor of Illinois in the 1990s. Ryan was known for commuting many dozens of life sentences to Illinois death row inmates. He also gained notoriety for his conviction on federal corruption charges, which earned him several years in federal prison.
One of the most significant people in the history of the acceptance of Catholicism in America was a Ryan. Patrick John Ryan was a Catholic priest and archbishop in America during the 19th Century amid the influx of immigrants. He was a leader in the fight against anti-Catholic prejudice during his time period of heavy Irish immigration to the U.S. He’s credited with being a leader in the development of the Catholic Church in the U.S.
Matt Ryan. ( Flickr)
From the world of American football, the Ryan clan is notable for their achievements as coaches. It started with father Buddy Ryan when he was the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears in their Super Bowl-winning season, and later as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Son Rex Ryan was a longtime coach of the New York Jets. And son Rob Ryan is a defensive coach. More recently, there's Atlanta Falcons quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player for 2016 Matt Ryan. A Boston College graduate and native of Philadelphia, Ryan is considered the greatest player in Falcons franchise history and has been tagged with the nickname “Matty Ice” due to his ability to stage late-game comebacks with lots on the line.
Nolan Ryan is one of the greatest baseball pitchers in history. Feared due to his powerful fastball, Ryan tossed seven no-hitters in his career, the most of any pitcher in history. He also won a world series with the California Angels. And abroad, there’s also a famous Luke Ryan, one of the most famous of Australian rules football players. A native of Melbourne, Ryan currently plays for the Freemantle club.
And, lest we forget fiction, there's the namesake of the movie Saving Private Ryan, James Francis Ryan, who was portrayed by Matt Damon. And, perhaps the most famous fictional Ryan, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. This CIA analyst fights bad guys in novels like Patriot Games and the Hunt for Red October. Jack Ryan has been portrayed in movies by Alec Baldwin and others. He’s recently become the namesake of a new television series starring John Krasinski in the title role.