Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Boys name - Rian

36 replies

Ckennedy · 02/06/2024 14:40

Hi there, I recently found out I’m having my third boy and need help with names!
we have a Jack and a Tommy (Thomas) already.
I really like the name Rían (said as ree-an) which is Irish for Ryan.
we live in England but our families are both Irish so like the Irish connection but just worried he might be forever explaining his name.
Thoughts on Rían or any suggestions for classic but Irish names?
thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
SparkyBlue · 02/06/2024 23:09

It's a very common name around here. I know several and there are two boys called Rian in DDs preschool class(obviously I'm in Ireland). I know one mum is very defensive that's it's not the Irish for Ryan and that it means little king. Personally I actually prefer the name Ryan.

KirstenBlest · 02/06/2024 21:20

WheelofCheeses · 02/06/2024 16:21

I only know Rhiann which is a Welsh girls name. It’s quite different from your other boys’ names.

The Welsh girl's name is Rhian

PuddingAunt · 02/06/2024 20:22

The Old Woman says path in the sense that Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Light".
Not the wee boreen that takes you down to the strand, she says.

Boatonalake · 02/06/2024 20:13

If you're worried it would be mixed up with the word for path or similar then there's also the option of using the older spelling Riaghan instead of Rian.
Difficult outside Ireland though.

PuddingAunt · 02/06/2024 19:46

Rian without fadas means "path".
Ríán with two fadas looks like "king". The fadas may be there to differentiate.
Says the old woman with all the Irishes.

Apileofballyhoo · 02/06/2024 18:28

Rian wouldn't need a fada, same as Cian doesn't or Niamh or any irish word with ia like the end of Cillian though I see it's all over the Google searches with a fada and a meaning. Not a name I ever heard of.

Rory
Conor
Oscar
Fergal
Eoin/Owen
Brendan
Aidan
Colm
Ciaran
Donal
Cormac
Enda
Liam
Declan
Ronan

There's a few anglicised fairly well known names there.

CocoapuffPuff · 02/06/2024 18:10

I only know it as a name for girls. Never heard of it used for boys.

My friend has a boy called Ruan though.

TeaKitten · 02/06/2024 18:06

Tess044 · 02/06/2024 18:06

.

Edited

Start your own thread in conception for this one.

Tess044 · 02/06/2024 18:06

.

Boys name - Rian
Aglassaday · 02/06/2024 18:05

I love it plus I always accidentally butcher Irish names pronunciation wise and instantly knew this one!

Boatonalake · 02/06/2024 18:02

Love the scan story 😁
As for the name, the reality is they're just not sure of the meaning. Can't put that on a story board I suppose. They took one hypothesis and ran with it I guess?

Marblessolveeverything · 02/06/2024 17:44

@Boatonalake sorry, I should have elaborated . the children all have a little piece on the wall about themselves, a storyboard and I remember noticing the name and it's meaning.

Simply because when I gave birth to my eldest a woman in the same ward named her son Rían because he was breach and his scan showed him sitting very regal.

I always thought it was a lovely story for a child to have, I may have been a hormonal mess at the time 😉.

Original poster
Ckennedy · 02/06/2024 17:40

Thanks so much for your messages everyone…..looks like Rían is ruled out 😔

@rainyrainagain love the name Finn but it’s already been used in my family! Typical!

OP posts:
Boatonalake · 02/06/2024 17:31

Not sure what a story board is ...
Lots of people use the fada. Traditionally there was no fada though, that's why the surname doesn't have it. Neither is it needed for the correct pronunciation.

Marblessolveeverything · 02/06/2024 17:27

@Boatonalake the two boys named Rían in my local Gaelscoil uses the fada and on their story boards they reference the little king. Must be a Dublin thing.

Moreteaandchocolate · 02/06/2024 17:27

I know a few girls / women called Rhian, pronounced the same, so it sounds feminine to me.

Sue152 · 02/06/2024 17:25

To me it sounds like a girls name if it's pronounced Ree-Ann.

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 02/06/2024 17:21

BobbyBiscuits · 02/06/2024 15:27

I like Ruan. Another Irish name. I'm inclined to think Rian might get mistaken for the feminine rhianne. In prononciation at least. I actually like Ryan a bit more.

Now I’ve seen this it’s what I’d go for. Avoids a lot of mispronunciation possibly and is lovely.

Boatonalake · 02/06/2024 17:19

Marblessolveeverything · 02/06/2024 14:47

Rían means little king in Gaeilge as well as Ryan. Beautiful name.

As you said, I would be curious how will he manage the fada ? Because it is a different word without it? Does the local accent read it as it is meant to be pronounced? Or will he spend a lot of time correcting them.

It doesn't need a fada. Neither does Cian (or grian etc). You get the Ree-an pronunciation anyway with the ia spelling.

People say it's related to king (rí) but that's a guess/hypothesis.
The name is so old nobody's sure of its meaning.

The surname (in Irish) doesn't use the fada either btw.

RubyWinehouse · 02/06/2024 17:17

I only know that as a girl's name, sorry I'm not keen.

TealDog · 02/06/2024 17:15

It’s a lovely name, we considered it for our little boy but a lot of people will pronounce it Ryan, or forget about the fada, which put us off it. It it doesn’t put you off go for it, it is such a gorgeous old name.

PuddingAunt · 02/06/2024 17:14

Brian goes well with Jack and Tommy.

WheelofCheeses · 02/06/2024 16:21

I only know Rhiann which is a Welsh girls name. It’s quite different from your other boys’ names.

Berlinlover · 02/06/2024 15:42

It’s a lovely name and very popular here in Ireland but it wouldn’t be pronounced correctly in England so I wouldn’t use it if I were you.

MyTattooIsBetterThanYours · 02/06/2024 15:36

Or Balonz?