fullmetaljo's Personal Name List

Means "little abbot", derived from Irish abb "abbot" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint, the son of King Cormac of Leinster.

Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Irish cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early saints, including a 7th-century bishop of the Isle of Man. It appears in Irish legend as a companion Fionn mac Cumhaill. A famous bearer of it as a middle name was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. It is also the name of the hero of the Conan the Barbarian series of books, comics and movies, debuting 1932.

Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Old Irish cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 8th-century saint.

Means "little wolf", derived from Old Irish fáel "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint who did missionary work in Scotland.

Means "little raven" from Old Irish fiach "raven" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint of the 7th century, the founder of the monastery at Fore. He died of the yellow plague.

From Old Irish Garbán meaning "little rough one", derived from garb "rough" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint.

From Old Irish Gobbán, derived from gobae "smith" and a diminutive suffix. It could also be a derivative of the name of the Irish smith god Goibniu (from the same root). This was the name of a few early saints, such as a 7th-century abbot of Killamery. In later folklore, the smith god and the saints seem to have conflated into the legendary figure Gobán Saor ("Gobán the builder"), a master architect and builder of churches.

Means "little bare one", derived from Old Irish lomm "bare" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a nephew of Saint Patrick.

Means "little blackbird", derived from Old Irish lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.

Means "little fierce one", derived from Old Irish lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Lorcán was a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.

Means "little monk", derived from Old Irish manach "monk" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by two early saints.

Means "little saint", derived from Irish naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.

From Old Irish Odrán, derived from odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a saint who travelled with Saint Columba through Scotland.

Means "little deer", derived from Old Irish oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.

Means "little seal", derived from Old Irish rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.

From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity through the 1950s and 60s. It shot up the charts after the release of the 1970 movie Ryan's Daughter. Within a few years it was in the top 20 names, where it would stay for over three decades. Famous bearers include the Canadian actors Ryan Reynolds (1976-) and Ryan Gosling (1980-).

Modern Irish form of Senán.

From Old Irish Tigernán meaning "little lord", from tigerna "lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.