Surname Riordan - Meaning and Origin

Riordan: What does the surname Riordan mean?

The last name Riordan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic term "Rioghbhardán". This term is composed of two elements: "ríogh" means royal and "bard" means poet. Therefore, Riordan can be translated to mean "royal bard" or "royal poet." This suggests that the ancestors of the Riordan family likely held a role as bards, who were tasked with composing and performing verses for the royals in ancient Celtic cultures. Bards were highly respected members of society and played a crucial role in chronicling history, as well as providing entertainment. Thus, the family name Riordan carries connotations of creativity, heritage, and status.

Riordan: Where does the name Riordan come from?

The last name Riordan is most commonly found in Ireland. It first became popular around the 12th century, when the Riordan clan was formed in County Kerry. Today, Riordans can be found all over the world, though the surname is particularly concentrated in Ireland and other predominantly Irish centres such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Riordan is a fairly uncommon surname outside of the aforementioned countries, however it can be found in areas with significant Irish diasporas, such as Cuba, the Caribbean, and Argentina.

In 2020, the surname was ranked at 4500th most common name in the United States. This ranking was relatively low compared to other Irish surnames, notably Kelly and Murphy which held the 1st and 14th spots respectively. Most states with a high concentration of Riordans were concentrated along the east coast, with Massachusetts having the highest number, followed by New York and Pennsylvania.

Riordan is also the 25th most common surname in Ireland. It is particularly common in eastern county within the province of Leinster. Interestingly, no single Irish county has more than 4% of the population with the Riordan name. In total, about 15,000 people in Ireland carry the name.

Overall, the last name Riordan is still quite common today, despite its relative rarity outside of Irish-dominated countries or areas. While it is no longer as popular as some other Irish surnames, the Riordan family continues to carry the name proudly across the world.

Variations of the surname Riordan

The variants, spellings and surnames of Riordan are numerous and include O Riordan, O Reardon, O Regordon, O Rierdan, O Reardan, Rioran, Ryordan, Riaran, Ryarran, Ryan and Ryon. The origin of these surnames lies with the Ancient Irish Gaelic O'Riordain and Mac Riordain clans.

Most of the variants are derived from the personal name Ríordán, which means "king's poet" or "royal poet". This ancestral name is believed to originate from the 10th century Gaelic personal name Ríoghbhardán.

In addition, the Irish "O" which can be translated as "grandson of" or "descendent of" is a common prefix for these variants, so the name O'Riordan is often used. The apostrophe is then used to indicate the hereditary status of the bearer and trace their ancestry back to the original clan.

As with many Irish families, due to a lack of literacy and difficulty in accurately recording the variations in language particular to a region or dialect, and the fact that many name formulations have been arbitrarily changed by emigrating families over the centuries, many variant spellings of Riordan have been produced.

The names related to the Riordan clan are now found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Canada, the United States, Australia, and throughout Europe. No matter where it is found in the world, the surname Riordan is seen as a sign of strong Irish lineage and proud family tradition.

Famous people with the name Riordan

• Rick Riordan: he is an American novelist known for his challenges in the fantasy genre. He is the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
• Haley Riordan: she is an actress best known for films like All That Remains, Contradiction and statistics.
• Michael Riordan: he is an Australian entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Riordan, an Australian private investment company.
• Brian Riordan: he is an American businessman and entrepreneur who is the CEO of The Riordan Group, a leadership consulting firm.
• John Riordan: he is an Irish politician who was formerly a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Fianna Fáil political party in the 2013 Irish general election.
• Kelley L. Riordan: she is an American businesswoman who served as senior director of customer service and order management for Nike, Americas.
• Ciara Riordan: she is an Irish politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party in the Irish Senate.
• Evan Riordan: he is an American poet and author of two collections, Memory Vertigo and Bloodlines.
• Ray Riordan: he is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who formed the band 'Cowboy Junkies' in 1986.
• Seán Riordan: he is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 2007 until 2011.

Other surnames

Riordon