Kylan
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "slender and handsome".
Name Census estimates that about 11,151 living Americans carry the first name Kylan. It is a predominantly male name (90.7% of registrations). The average person named Kylan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kylan births was 2022 (610 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kylan. 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
- • Kylan is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 30,738 Americans
Peak year
2022
610 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#532
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Kylan
Kylan leans heavily male at 90.7% of total registrations, but 1,050 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kylan as a male name
- Ranked #532 in 2024
- 558 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (576 births)
Kylan as a female name
- Ranked #4,070 in 2024
- 36 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (47 births)
Popularity
Kylan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kylan from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 4,470 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kylan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kylan 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 Kylan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kylans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 38 states and territories. Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Kylan, while Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 225 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kylan
The given name Kylan is believed to have its origins in the Celtic languages, particularly Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "cailean" or "cuilean," which mean "whelp" or "young dog."
In ancient Celtic culture, dogs were highly revered and often associated with loyalty, protection, and hunting prowess. As such, names related to dogs were commonly given to newborn children, perhaps as a way of bestowing these desired qualities upon them.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kylan can be traced back to medieval Ireland and Scotland, where it was primarily used as a male name. It is possible that the name was also influenced by the Old Norse name Killian, which has a similar sound and meaning.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Kylan was Kylan mac Ailpín, a Scottish prince who lived in the 9th century. He was the son of King Ailpín II of Dalriada and played a significant role in the consolidation of the Kingdom of Alba, which later became the Kingdom of Scotland.
Another notable bearer of the name was Kylan of Newbattle, a 12th-century Scottish monk and hagiographer who wrote the Life of St. Cuthbert, an important work chronicling the life of the revered Northumbrian monk and bishop.
In the 14th century, there was a Kylan O'Doherty, an Irish chieftain from County Donegal, who fought against the English during the Irish Bruce Wars. His name can be found in several historical records from that time period.
In the 16th century, Kylan O'Mulconry was a renowned Irish historian and poet from County Roscommon. He was a member of the prestigious O'Mulconry family, known for their expertise in genealogy and traditional Irish learning.
More recently, in the 20th century, Kylan Mickhi was a notable French artist and sculptor, best known for his abstract works and unique use of materials like metal and stone. He was born in 1924 and passed away in 2004.
While the name Kylan has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures, it has continued to be used throughout various regions and time periods, often carrying connotations of strength, loyalty, and a connection to nature and animals.
People
Kylan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kylan 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
Kylan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kylan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11,151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kylan 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 30,738 US residents.
Is Kylan a common name?
We classify Kylan as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11,274 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kylan most popular?
The single biggest year for Kylan was 2022, when 610 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kylan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kylan a male name?
Yes, 90.7% of people registered as Kylan 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.