Ethan vs Ryan
Ethan and Ryancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Ryan #57 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Ryan #132 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Ryan #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Ryan #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Ryan #104 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Ryan #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Ryan #364 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and Ryan over time
Ethan and Ryan appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Ethan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ryan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ryan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ethan in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Ethan moved ahead of Ryan in England and Wales · Boys — #21 and #18 the year before became #18 and #20.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and Ryan changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1990 and 2023, ending at #24 and #57.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Ryan averaged 38.0 places apart, ending at #48 and #132.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Ryan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #49 and #81.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ryan in 36.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Ryan #6 in 2008.
The order changed in 2025: Ethan moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #51 and #46; by 2025 that had become #51 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Ryan #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ryan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Ryan #8 in 2004.
The order changed in 2006: Ethan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #9 and #8; by 2006 that had become #9 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, Ryan #81.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Ryan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Ryan #10 in 2006.
The order changed in 2017: Ethan moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #17 and #16; by 2017 that had become #23 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Ryan #57.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ryan in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Ryan #7 in 1996.
The order changed in 2002: Ethan moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #21 and #18; by 2002 that had become #18 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Ryan #132.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ryan in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Ryan #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2011: Ethan moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #7 and #5; by 2011 that had become #4 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, Ryan #104.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ethan | Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːθən/ | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Ryan is recorded with a Irish (surname origin) origin.
- Ethan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ryan.
- Ethan's recorded meaning differs from Ryan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys