Kian last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Kian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kian.

Meaning of Kian

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Cian, meaning "ancient".

Kian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kian in America

Kian is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kian surname appeared 186 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 97671 105905 -8.09%
Count 186 156 17.54%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.06 0.00%

The history of the last name Kian

The surname KIAN is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "cian," which means "ancient" or "distant." The name was initially found in the counties of Cork and Kerry, located in the southern part of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KIAN surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle written in the 17th century. This manuscript mentions a notable figure named Domhnall Ó Ciaráin, who lived in the 12th century and was a member of the Uí Chiaráin clan.

In the 16th century, the KIAN surname appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Chancery Rolls. These records often spelled the name as "Kyane" or "Keane," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

The KIAN surname has also been associated with several place names in Ireland. For instance, the townland of Kian, located in County Tipperary, likely derived its name from a family with this surname residing in the area.

Notable individuals with the KIAN surname throughout history include:

  1. Donough Kian (c. 1560-1626), an Irish landowner and member of the Kian clan in County Cork.
  2. Tadhg Kian (c. 1620-1690), a renowned Irish poet and scholar from County Kerry.
  3. Seán Kian (1775-1842), an Irish businessman and philanthropist from County Cork, known for his contributions to education in the region.
  4. Margaret Kian (1823-1898), an Irish-American author and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education.
  5. Michael Kian (1857-1932), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

While the KIAN surname has its origins in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its rich history and connection to ancient Irish clans and place names remain an integral part of its cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kian was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 63.44% 118
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.84% 9
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 11.83% 22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 8.60% 16
Hispanic Origin 11.29% 21

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 63.44% 66.03% -4.00%
Black 4.84% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 11.83% 7.69% 42.42%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 8.60% 12.18% -34.46%
Hispanic 11.29% 9.62% 15.97%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kian, please contact us.

Reference this page

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"Kian last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 26, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kian-surname-popularity/.

"Kian last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kian-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 June, 2025

Kian last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kian-surname-popularity/.

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