Origins & History of the Ryan Clan
Ryan is one of the most widespread and enduring surnames of Munster. Originally Ó Maoilriain (meaning “descendant of the follower of Riaghán” or “little king”), the Ryans were lords of Owney in northern County Tipperary and east County Limerick.
During the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, agrarian evictions drove many Ryan families into transatlantic emigrant ships bound for Pennsylvania and New York, where they took leading roles in civic administration and trade unions.