Ryerson
A masculine name of English origin meaning "son of a rider".
Name Census estimates that about 86 living Americans carry the first name Ryerson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ryerson today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ryerson births was 2024 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ryerson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ryerson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
86
~ 1 in 3,985,516 Americans
Peak year
2024
20 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,002
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Ryerson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ryerson from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 47 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ryerson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ryerson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ryerson
The name Ryerson has its origins in the Old English language, emerging in the 7th or 8th century AD. It is derived from the combination of the Old English words "ric" meaning powerful or rich, and "son" indicating a male descendant. The name essentially translates to "son of the powerful" or "son of the wealthy".
In the early medieval period, Ryerson was primarily used in various parts of England, particularly in the regions of Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex. It was a common practice among Anglo-Saxon families to adopt surnames based on the given name of the father or a prominent ancestor, leading to the widespread use of patronymic names like Ryerson.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ryerson can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Ryerson living in the county of Lincolnshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Ryerson continued to appear in various historical records and chronicles. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ryerson de Burgh served as a knight and fought in the wars between England and France during the reign of King Henry III.
During the Renaissance period, a scholar and humanist named Ryerson Erasmus (1466-1536) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his advocacy for religious reform. His works, including "The Praise of Folly," had a significant impact on the intellectual landscape of the time.
In the 17th century, a Puritan minister named Ryerson Winthrop (1588-1649) played a crucial role in the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as the colony's first governor and was known for his leadership and dedication to the Puritan faith.
In the 19th century, a prominent Canadian educator and politician, Ryerson Egerton (1803-1882), left a lasting legacy as the founder of the public education system in Ontario. He was instrumental in establishing the principles of free, universal, and non-denominational education in the province.
Another notable figure bearing the name Ryerson was the American artist and illustrator Ryerson Rockwell (1894-1978), best known for his iconic depictions of American life and his contributions to the covers of popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post.
Throughout history, the name Ryerson has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, religious leaders, artists, and political figures, each leaving their mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Ryerson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ryerson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ryerson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ryerson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 86 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ryerson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,985,516 US residents.
Is Ryerson a common name?
We classify Ryerson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 87 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ryerson most popular?
The single biggest year for Ryerson was 2024, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ryerson is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ryerson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ryerson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ryerson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ryerson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ryerson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ryerson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Ryerson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.