Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Kian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: ancient, enduringKian is a boy's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "ancient, enduring". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Ancient, enduring
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #401 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Kian
As a boy's name, Kian comes from Irish Gaelic and means "ancient, enduring". It is used in English and Irish.
In Irish, say KEE-an. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Kian on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Kian on 1 list.
“English spelling of Cian, ancient and enduring; also an unrelated Persian name. Say KEE-an.”
From Irish boy names, irish boys' names in English spelling
How popular is Kian?
- US rank in 2025
- #401
- 797 babies, 467 per million boys
- Best rank
- #401 in 2025
- 797 babies that year
- Babies since 1970
- At least 13,457
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 5 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 36 per million |
| 2000s | 140 per million |
| 2010s | 290 per million |
| 2020s | 415 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #498 | #453 | #447 | #475 | #451 | #453 | #456 | #428 | #417 | #401 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Kian
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- CianAncient, enduring (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names spelled like Kian
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- KaanRuler, khan (Turkish, boy)
- KiranRay of light (Sanskrit, unisex)
- KaiThe sea (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KieranLittle dark one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KağanKing, ruler (Turkish, boy)
- KangHealthy, peaceful (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- KaranClever, skillful (Sanskrit, boy)
- KeanuThe cool breeze (Hawaiian, boy)
- KenHealthy, strong; sword (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- EthanFirm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
- DanteEnduring, steadfast (Latin, boy)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- DorianMember of an ancient Greek tribe (Greek, boy)
- EithanVariant of Ethan, firm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
- KeenanLittle ancient one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- PriscillaAncient (Latin, girl)
- CianánLittle ancient one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CiannaitAncient, enduring (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- PriscilaAncient (Latin, girl)
- SabirPatient, enduring (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Kian
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BrendanA prince (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CaseyVigilant, watchful (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CassidyCurly-haired (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CodyDescendant of the helpful one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConnorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Kian: common questions
What does the name Kian mean?
Kian comes from Irish Gaelic and means "ancient, enduring".
Is Kian a boy or girl name?
Kian is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 6 girls and 797 boys in the US were named Kian, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Kian come from?
Kian comes from Irish Gaelic and means "ancient, enduring". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Kian?
Kian ranked #401 in the US in 2025, with 797 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Kian?
Forms of Kian with the same meaning and origin include Cian (Irish).
What middle names go with Kian?
Middle names that flow well with Kian include Benedict, Carter, Cooper, Florian and Jameson. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.