Kian
Kian is the English variant of the Gaelic Irish given name Cian, meaning 'ancient'. A variant spelling is Kyan. Kian is also a common Persian given name meaning 'king' or 'realm'.
- Persian
- English
Meaning & Origin of Kian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kian is the English variant of the Gaelic Irish given name Cian, meaning 'ancient'. A variant spelling is Kyan. Kian is also a common Persian given name meaning 'king' or 'realm'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Persian
- English
The Story of Kian
The earliest SSA record of Kian as a baby boy name dates back to 1970, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 779 newborns named Kian — #409 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Kian on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kian ranks #409 for baby boys with 779 births, gradually rising (+13%). All told, over 14K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kian
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kian
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About the name Kian
Kian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. Kian's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #409. Use the chart and map above to compare Kian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.