boy's name
Killian
KIL-ee-an
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 44,586
the United States
#417
2025 births
Killian is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "little church" or "little bright-headed one," and its saint was murdered for objecting to a duke's marriage. It ranks 142nd in Ireland and 417th in the United States.
- Killian is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in France in 2002, when 1,930 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1978.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Killian over time
Births per decade in France, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 10 |
| 1980s | 215 |
| 1990s | 5,555 |
| 2000s | 14,170 |
| 2010s | 1,910 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 100 |
What Killian means
Killian has two competing readings. One takes it from ceall, a church or monastic cell, giving little church-man; the other from ceallach, generally read as bright-headed or as strife. Neither is settled.
Where Killian comes from
Killian anglicizes the Irish Cillian, and its derivation is contested between ceall, a church or monastic cell — the element in hundreds of Kil- place names across Ireland — and ceallach, variously read as bright-headed or as war and strife. Its saint is Kilian of Würzburg, a seventh-century Irish missionary to Franconia who converted Duke Gozbert and then told him his marriage to his brother's widow was unlawful; the duchess Geilana had him and two companions killed around 689. He is the patron saint of Würzburg, where the cathedral carries his name, and the Kiliani festival is still held. That German connection is why Killian has a continental life — it ranks in France as well as Ireland — which is unusual for an Irish name of this kind.
Killian in use
Killian ranks 142nd in Ireland with 38 births in 2025 and 417th in the United States with 785 births, its largest market. It is falling in our data from a peak in 2002, and our records carry it from 1978. It also appears in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales and France, which gives it wider spread than most Irish names at this rank.
How popular is Killian?
In 2025, Killian was given to 5 babies in France. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Killian is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Killian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Killian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Killian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Killian in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Killian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Killian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Killian
What does the name Killian mean?
It is contested — either "little church," from ceall, or "bright-headed," from ceallach.
Is Killian the same as Cillian?
Yes. Cillian is the Irish spelling and Killian the anglicization; registers count them separately.
Who was Saint Kilian?
An Irish missionary to Franconia, killed around 689 after telling Duke Gozbert his marriage was unlawful. He is patron of Würzburg.
How popular is Killian?
142nd in Ireland and 417th in the United States.
Is Killian a girl's or a boy's name?
Killian is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Killian?
Killian has 2 syllables.
Is Killian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Killian currently ranks #142 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.