Kian
Masculine name of Persian origin meaning "Of or belonging to Kian" or "King of Heaven".
Name Census estimates that about 12,630 living Americans carry the first name Kian. It sits at #416 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Kian today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kian births was 2024 (765 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kian. 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
- • Although Kian is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 105 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Kian is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
13K
~ 1 in 27,138 Americans
Peak year
2024
765 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#416
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Kian
Out of the 12,758 babies given the name Kian since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Kian as a male name
- Ranked #416 in 2024
- 765 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (765 births)
Kian as a female name
- Ranked #11,715 in 2023
- 8 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (8 births)
Popularity
Kian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kian from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5,473 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kian remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kian 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 Kian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kians live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Kian, while New Hampshire, North Dakota, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 239 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kian
The name Kian is believed to have originated from the Persian language, with roots tracing back to ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran. It is derived from the Old Persian word "Kayān," which refers to the Kayanian dynasty, a legendary dynasty that ruled over parts of Greater Iran during the mythical age.
The name Kian can be found in various ancient Persian texts and legends, including the epic poem "Shahnameh" (Book of Kings) by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi. In this epic, Kian is mentioned as the name of a character, a prince from the Kayanian dynasty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kian dates back to the 6th century AD, when a Persian prince named Kian lived during the Sasanian Empire. However, the name likely predates this period, as it is deeply rooted in Persian mythology and folklore.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kian. One of the most famous was Kian Sani (born around 1010 AD), a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the advancement of science during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another notable figure was Kian Khusraw (born around 1050 AD), a Persian prince and military leader who played a crucial role in defending the Seljuk Empire against invading forces.
In the 13th century, Kian Bahadur Khan (born around 1220 AD) was a powerful military commander who served under the Mongol ruler Hulagu Khan and played a pivotal role in the conquest of Persia.
During the 16th century, Kian Ghiyath al-Din (born around 1520 AD) was a prominent Persian calligrapher and poet who left a lasting legacy in the art of Persian calligraphy.
More recently, Kian Tajbakhsh (born in 1962) is an Iranian-American scholar and activist who has been recognized for his work in promoting human rights and democracy in Iran.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kian, a name that has its roots in ancient Persian culture and mythology.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kian
People
Kian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kian 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
Kian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12,630 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kian 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 27,138 US residents.
Is Kian a common name?
We classify Kian as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12,758 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kian most popular?
The single biggest year for Kian was 2024, when 765 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kian is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kian a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Kian 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.
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.