Pronunciation
Ree-an
Meaning
Little king (traditional interpretation)
Fun fact
The fada above í gives the written name its distinctive look. Rían is often explained as ‘little king’, giving a small name a royal association.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Rían, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
#1Rank among boy names in 2025490Babies registered in 2025
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 490 | #1 |
| 2024 | 432 | #3 |
| 2023 | 339 | #4 |
| 2022 | 372 | #4 |
| 2021 | 357 | #5 |
| 2020 | 285 | #15 |
| 2019 | 262 | #20 |
| 2018 | 193 | #33 |
| 2017 | 257 | #25 |
| 2016 | 231 | #31 |
| 2015 | 200 | #36 |
| 2014 | 215 | #35 |
| 2013 | 208 | #37 |
| 2012 | 243 | #33 |
| 2011 | 213 | #42 |
| 2010 | 161 | #54 |
| 2009 | 151 | #60 |
| 2008 | 144 | #62 |
| 2007 | 139 | #58 |
| 2006 | 86 | #77 |
| 2005 | 75 | #84 |
| 2004 | 59 | #100 |
| 2003 | 37 | #128 |
| 2002 | 40 | #117 |
| 2001 | 44 | #111 |
| 2000 | 34 | #126 |
| 1999 | 22 | #149 |
| 1998 | 28 | #128 |
| 1997 | 17 | #174 |
| 1996 | 19 | #160 |
| 1995 | 17 | #164 |
| 1994 | 11 | #192 |
| 1993 | 7 | #235 |
| 1992 | 3 | #337 |
| 1991 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1990 | 5 | #256 |
| 1989 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1988 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1987 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1986 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1985 | 3 | #304 |
| 1984 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1983 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1982 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1981 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1980 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1979 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1978 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1977 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1976 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1975 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1974 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1973 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1972 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1971 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1970 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1969 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1968 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1967 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | Less than 3 | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.