Killian
An anglicized spelling of Irish Cillian.
Every Killian since 1915 — 16,834 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Killian
Killian is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #418 in 2025 with 770 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1915, 16,834 American babies have been named Killian. Its peak came in 2017, when 1,528 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Killian stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Killian year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #7,333 | 770 | #418 |
| 2024 | 12 | #8,716 | 885 | #370 |
| 2023 | 12 | #8,742 | 884 | #368 |
| 2022 | 20 | #6,109 | 903 | #364 |
| 2021 | 21 | #5,857 | 939 | #347 |
| 2020 | 13 | #8,202 | 899 | #352 |
| 2019 | 16 | #7,195 | 1,089 | #311 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5,910 | 1,229 | #287 |
| 2017 | 22 | #5,751 | 1,506 | #248 |
| 2016 | 19 | #6,554 | 1,382 | #264 |
| 2015 | 25 | #5,387 | 976 | #350 |
| 2014 | 16 | #7,494 | 545 | #511 |
| 2013 | 16 | #7,584 | 294 | #768 |
| 2012 | 11 | #10,091 | 270 | #819 |
| 2011 | 17 | #7,283 | 299 | #758 |
| 2010 | 16 | #7,729 | 293 | #766 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6,947 | 304 | #752 |
| 2008 | 16 | #7,939 | 274 | #800 |
| 2007 | 14 | #8,800 | 255 | #837 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9,624 | 176 | #1,036 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,552 | 162 | #1,036 |
| 2004 | 15 | #7,633 | 151 | #1,066 |
| 2003 | 11 | #9,389 | 117 | #1,242 |
| 2002 | 13 | #8,067 | 117 | #1,199 |
| 2001 | 18 | #6,197 | 129 | #1,106 |
| 2000 | 19 | #5,827 | 139 | #1,043 |
| 1995 | 20 | #4,935 | 135 | #957 |
| 1990 | 10 | #8,200 | 81 | #1,221 |
| 1985 | — | — | 9 | #4,527 |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | 5 | #4,648 |
| 1915 | — | — | 5 | #4,120 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Killian mean?
An anglicized spelling of Irish Cillian.
How popular is the name Killian in 2025?
Killian ranked #418 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 770 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Killian?
16,834 babies have been named Killian in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Killian most popular?
Killian peaked in 2017, when 1,528 newborns received the name.
Is Killian a boy or girl name?
Killian is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 96% of babies with the name.
Is the name Killian rising or falling?
Killian is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.