Cillian: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Cillian is an Irish boy’s name of uncertain origin, most likely from the Old Irish cell, “church,” giving “little church.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Killian
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 9 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Cillian?
Cillian is pronounced KIL-e-an. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Cillian mean?
Cillian is an Irish name whose origin is not certain. It most likely comes from Old Irish cell, “church,” with a diminutive ending, giving “little church.” Patrick Woulfe (1923) instead took it as a pet form of Ceallach, a name he explained as “war” or “strife.” Its English form is Killian.
St. Kilian, the Apostle of Franconia, was an Irish missionary bishop. In 686 he and eleven companions travelled to Rome and then to Würzburg, in what is now Germany, where he converted Duke Gozbert. When Kilian told the duke that his marriage to Geilana, his brother’s widow, was against scripture, Geilana had him beheaded with his companions Colmán and Totnan in 689, while the duke was away. Würzburg still holds the Kiliani festival every July.
Sources: Wikipedia, Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923).
How popular is Cillian in Ireland?
In 2025, 271 baby boys in Ireland were named Cillian, which made it No. 9 that year. Another 5 were registered as Cillían. That's up from No. 22 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2024, when 352 baby boys were named Cillian, No. 4 that year. The most babies got the name in 2007: 377. It first appears in the records in 1970, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 276 | No. 9 (Cillian) |
| 2024 | 358 | No. 4 (Cillian) |
| 2023 | 275 | No. 9 (Cillian) |
| 2022 | 319 | No. 9 (Cillian) |
| 2021 | 322 | No. 9 (Cillian) |
| 2020 | 302 | No. 11 (Cillian) |
| 2019 | 292 | No. 17 (Cillian) |
| 2018 | 294 | No. 17 (Cillian) |
| 2017 | 302 | No. 16 (Cillian) |
| 2016 | 298 | No. 22 (Cillian) |
| 2015 | 299 | No. 22 (Cillian) |
| 2014 | 350 | No. 20 (Cillian) |
| 2013 | 322 | No. 23 (Cillian) |
| 2012 | 341 | No. 23 (Cillian) |
| 2011 | 360 | No. 22 (Cillian) |
| 2010 | 351 | No. 21 (Cillian) |
| 2009 | 346 | No. 21 (Cillian) |
| 2008 | 350 | No. 23 (Cillian) |
| 2007 | 377 | No. 22 (Cillian) |
| 2006 | 300 | No. 28 (Cillian) |
| 2005 | 167 | No. 45 (Cillian) |
| 2004 | 176 | No. 40 (Cillian) |
| 2003 | 116 | No. 60 (Cillian) |
| 2002 | 99 | No. 66 (Cillian) |
| 2001 | 114 | No. 58 (Cillian) |
| 2000 | 111 | No. 59 (Cillian) |
| 1999 | 98 | No. 61 (Cillian) |
| 1998 | 92 | No. 60 (Cillian) |
| 1997 | 101 | No. 72 (Cillian) |
| 1996 | 102 | No. 70 (Cillian) |
| 1995 | 61 | No. 89 (Cillian) |
| 1994 | 60 | No. 90 (Cillian) |
| 1993 | 66 | No. 90 (Cillian) |
| 1992 | 71 | No. 84 (Cillian) |
| 1991 | 54 | No. 100 (Cillian) |
| 1990 | 52 | No. 100 (Cillian) |
| 1989 | 44 | No. 107 (Cillian) |
| 1988 | 37 | No. 120 (Cillian) |
| 1987 | 42 | No. 110 (Cillian) |
| 1986 | 33 | No. 125 (Cillian) |
| 1985 | 28 | No. 135 (Cillian) |
| 1984 | 22 | No. 148 (Cillian) |
| 1983 | 31 | No. 132 (Cillian) |
| 1982 | 39 | No. 124 (Cillian) |
| 1981 | 19 | No. 165 (Cillian) |
| 1980 | 19 | No. 166 (Cillian) |
| 1979 | 16 | No. 172 (Cillian) |
| 1978 | 12 | No. 188 (Cillian) |
| 1977 | 9 | No. 220 (Cillian) |
| 1976 | 11 | No. 203 (Cillian) |
| 1975 | 6 | No. 251 (Cillian) |
| 1974 | 11 | No. 203 (Cillian) |
| 1973 | 4 | No. 290 (Cillian) |
| 1972 | 9 | No. 207 (Cillian) |
| 1970 | 3 | No. 305 (Cillian) |
Cillian in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Cillian, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- IIodhadh, yew
- LLuis, rowan
- LLuis, rowan
- IIodhadh, yew
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Cillian
Questions about Cillian
- How do you pronounce Cillian?
- Cillian is pronounced KIL-e-an, with three syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Cillian mean?
- Cillian is an Irish boy’s name of uncertain origin, most likely from the Old Irish cell, “church,” giving “little church.”
- Is Cillian a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Cillian is a boy's name.
- What is Cillian in English?
- The English form of Cillian is Killian.
- How popular is Cillian in Ireland?
- In 2025, Cillian was No. 9 for boys in Ireland, with 271 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2024, at No. 4.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Wikipedia, Behind the Name and Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923). How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com