Boy · #373 in 2026

Killian

Name: Popularity of the name Killian in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Killian, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

Current Rank

#373

Peak Rank

#248 (2017)

Total Babies

17K

5-Yr Trend

-22%

1986

First Year

2026

Last Year

1997

Peak Year

#3448

Peak Rank

625

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Killian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

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. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 1,505 Killians were born — ranking #248 that year. As of 2026, Killian ranks #373 for baby boys 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

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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.

Killion
Cullion
Kalyan
Gillion
Kilian
Killen
Gullion
Killoran
Skillion
Kilman
Kilton
Gallion

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Killian

What does the name Killian mean?

How popular is Killian in 2026?

In 2026, Killian ranks #373 among boys' names in the U.S., with 877 babies given the name that year.

When was Killian most popular?

Killian reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #248 that year with 1,505 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Killian most popular?

Killian has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Vermont, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Killian.

Is Killian a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Killian is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Killian?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Killian include Nickolas, Mickey, Lennox. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.