Kylian
Kylian was the 624th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 448 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 346th with 950 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 6,282 places. More babies were named Kylian in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Killian) Origin uncertain · Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #624 boys, up 377 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 448boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023950 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,750babies recorded
What does the name Kylian mean?
Kylian is a spelling of Killian, pronounced the same way, so it shares Killian's meaning and origin.
Killian is an English spelling of the Irish name Cillian (older Cillén), borne by Saint Kilian, a 7th-century Irish missionary martyred at Würzburg in Germany. The name is usually linked with Old Irish cell, "church" (from Latin cella), or with ceallach, "strife", but neither is confirmed by the sources consulted; Yonge's 1884 gloss "blind" is outdated. It has become popular in Ireland and the US.
Cillian (Irish, “personal name (meaning uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin of Cillian not established.
Other explanations you may read: means 'little church'; means 'war, strife'.
Related names: Cillian, Kilian, Kellan.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Killian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Kilian' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Kylian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 12 since 2002.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #624 | 448 |
| 2020 | #1,001 | 212 |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kylian, counting every spelling?
Kylian is a spelling of Killian, a name family that ranked #288 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #624 for Kylian on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,245 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killian | 770 | #418 | 4,381 |
| Kylian | 448 | #624 | 2,961 |
| Kyllian | 21 | #4,801 | 138 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kylian?
448 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kylian (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kylian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kylian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kylian?
About 3,700 people born in the US named Kylian are alive today, with a median age of 3; half are between 2 and 5. That makes Kylian a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kylian by state
How common Kylian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.3×), New Jersey (1.8×), Florida (1.7×), Virginia (1.6×), Connecticut (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Missouri, Michigan, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kylian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kylian, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kylian
What does Kylian mean?
The origin of Killian is uncertain: Origin of Cillian not established.
How popular is the name Kylian?
Kylian was the 624th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 448 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 346th with 950 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 6,282 places. More babies were named Kylian in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kylian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kylian in the US.
Where is Kylian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kylian was most common in Maryland (0.78 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and Florida.