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

Killian, 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 Killian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Killian in America

Killian is the 2833rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Killian surname appeared 12,717 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Killian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Killian 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 Killian

The surname Killian has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Cillian," which means "bright-headed" or "brilliant." The name was originally associated with the ancient Irish kingdom of Munster, particularly in County Cork and County Limerick.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Killian can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a notable figure named Cillian mac Máil Úama, who lived in the 7th century and was a prominent scholar and monk in Munster.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork, which were administrative records of the English crown in Ireland. These rolls listed several individuals with the surname Killian, indicating that the name had become well-established in the region by that time.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Killian throughout history, one can mention:

1. Saint Killian (c. 640-689), an Irish missionary and martyr who traveled to Germany to preach Christianity. He is venerated as the patron saint of several German towns and cities.

2. Cornelius Killian (1738-1808), an Irish-born American businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of New York City.

3. James Killian (1904-1988), a prominent American academic and engineer who served as the 10th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1949 to 1959.

4. Mary Killian (1858-1935), an Irish-American labor activist and trade unionist who fought for better working conditions and wages for women in the garment industry.

5. Johannes Killian (1571-1631), a German engraver and publisher known for his detailed maps and city views, including his famous "Topographia Palatina" depicting the cities and landscapes of the Palatinate region.

The surname Killian has also been associated with several place names, such as Killian Hill in County Carlow, Ireland, and Killian's Settlement, a historic community in Pennsylvania, United States, established by Irish immigrants in the 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Killian

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

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

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

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