Keilian
A unisex name with Celtic/Gaelic roots, meaning "bright-headed" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Keilian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keilian today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keilian births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keilian. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Keilian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,161
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Keilian: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Keilian by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Keilian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Keilian
The name Keilian is of ancient Celtic origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in the British Isles. Its earliest form was likely Ceilián, derived from the Old Irish word "céle," meaning "companion" or "disciple." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with monastic communities or religious orders.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was Ceilián of Iona, a 7th-century Irish monk and scholar who lived on the island of Iona, known for its influential monastic community and its role in spreading Christianity throughout Scotland and northern England. Ceilián is believed to have been a skilled scribe and illuminator, contributing to the renowned Book of Kells.
In the 9th century, a Welsh prince named Ceilían ap Rhys is mentioned in the Annales Cambriae, a chronicle of Welsh history. He was a ruler of the kingdom of Dyfed in southwestern Wales and played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and Anglo-Saxons during that period.
During the Middle Ages, the name Keilian appeared in various forms, such as Keillan, Keelan, and Keelin, particularly in Ireland and Scotland. One notable bearer was Keilian of Inishcaltra, a 13th-century Irish monk and scholar who lived on the island of Inishcaltra in Lough Derg. He is credited with writing several religious texts and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church.
In the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Keilian Gordon was a prominent figure in the court of King James IV of Scotland. He served as a diplomat and was involved in negotiations with England and other European powers.
Another notable individual was Keilian O'Donnell, an Irish chieftain who lived in the 17th century. He was a member of the powerful O'Donnell clan and played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars against English rule in Ireland.
Throughout history, the name Keilian has been associated with individuals from various backgrounds, including scholars, religious figures, nobility, and warriors. While its usage has been most prevalent in Celtic cultures, particularly in Ireland and Scotland, it has also been adopted and adapted in other regions, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped this ancient name over the centuries.
People
Keilian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keilian as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keilian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keilian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keilian going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Keilian a common name?
We classify Keilian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keilian most popular?
The single biggest year for Keilian was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keilian is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Keilian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keilian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keilian in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Keilian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keilian in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Keilian can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Keilian?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Keilian at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.