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

Kilian, 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 Kilian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kilian in America

Kilian is the 10480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kilian surname appeared 3,065 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kilian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kilian 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.

The history of the last name Kilian

The surname Kilian originated in Germany and is derived from the Latin name Kilianus. The name traces its roots back to the 7th century when St. Kilianus, an Irish missionary, travelled to Franconia, a region in modern-day Germany, to spread Christianity.

St. Kilianus, along with his companions, is credited with establishing the first church in Würzburg, Bavaria. His life and martyrdom are documented in various historical records, including the Vita Kiliani, written in the 9th century by a monk named Hygeburhc.

The earliest known usage of the surname Kilian can be found in the Codex Traditiones Possessionesque, a manuscript dating back to the 11th century, which records land transactions and property ownership in the region around Würzburg.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kilian was Henricus Kilian, a scribe and calligrapher who lived in Strasbourg, France, in the late 15th century. He is known for his beautiful handwritten manuscripts and his work in the printing industry.

In the 16th century, Lukas Kilian, a German engraver and publisher, was a prominent figure in the world of printmaking. His work included portraiture, religious engravings, and illustrations for books. He was born in Augsburg in 1579 and died in the same city in 1637.

Another notable figure with the surname Kilian was Philipp Andreas Kilian, a German composer and organist who lived from 1714 to 1759. He composed numerous church cantatas and organ works and served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.

In the 19th century, Hermann Friedrich Kilian was a German botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in South Africa. He was born in 1800 in Kirchheimbolanden and led several expeditions to the Cape region, collecting and documenting various plant species.

The surname Kilian can also be found in various place names throughout Germany, such as Kilianstädten, a town in Hesse, and Kilianshöhe, a district in Würzburg. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Kilian who settled or held land in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kilian

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

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 Kilian was:

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 Kilian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Kilian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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