Killian
Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Cillian. The name Cillian was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois (France) and Franconia (Germany) and the author of the life of St Brigid.
- Irish
- French
Meaning & Origin of Killian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Cillian. The name Cillian was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois (France) and Franconia (Germany) and the author of the life of St Brigid.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
- French
The Story of Killian
Killian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2017: 1,505 births, good for #248 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 46% of all recorded Killians. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #373 among baby boy names with 877 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 17K Killians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Killian
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Killian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Killian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Killian 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 Killian
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About the name Killian
Killian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Killian's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #248. Use the chart and map above to compare Killian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.