Cillian
Say it: KILL-ee-un/ˈcɪl̠ʲiənˠ/
BoyIrish7 letters3 syllables
#9
in Ireland (2025)
276
babies in 2025
#4
best rank (2024)
8,369
babies since 1970
Up 13
10-year rank change
Cillian through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 276 | #9 |
| 2024 | 358 | #4 |
| 2023 | 275 | #10 |
| 2022 | 319 | #9 |
| 2021 | 322 | #11 |
| 2020 | 302 | #13 |
| 2019 | 292 | #19 |
| 2018 | 294 | #16 |
| 2017 | 302 | #16 |
| 2016 | 298 | #22 |
| 2015 | 299 | #22 |
| 2014 | 350 | #20 |
| 2013 | 322 | #23 |
| 2012 | 341 | #23 |
| 2011 | 360 | #22 |
| 2010 | 351 | #21 |
| 2009 | 346 | #21 |
| 2008 | 350 | #23 |
| 2007 | 377 | #22 |
| 2006 | 300 | #28 |
| 2005 | 167 | #45 |
| 2004 | 176 | #40 |
| 2003 | 116 | #60 |
| 2002 | 99 | #66 |
| 2001 | 114 | #58 |
| 2000 | 111 | #59 |
| 1999 | 98 | #61 |
| 1998 | 92 | #60 |
| 1997 | 101 | #72 |
| 1996 | 102 | #70 |
| 1995 | 61 | #89 |
| 1994 | 60 | #90 |
| 1993 | 66 | #90 |
| 1992 | 71 | #84 |
| 1991 | 54 | #100 |
| 1990 | 52 | #100 |
| 1989 | 44 | #107 |
| 1988 | 37 | #120 |
| 1987 | 42 | #110 |
| 1986 | 33 | #125 |
| 1985 | 28 | #135 |
| 1984 | 22 | #148 |
| 1983 | 31 | #132 |
| 1982 | 39 | #124 |
| 1981 | 19 | #165 |
| 1980 | 19 | #166 |
| 1979 | 16 | #172 |
| 1978 | 12 | #188 |
| 1977 | 9 | #220 |
| 1976 | 11 | #203 |
| 1975 | 6 | #251 |
| 1974 | 11 | #203 |
| 1973 | 4 | #290 |
| 1972 | 9 | #207 |
| 1970 | 3 | #305 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Cillian mean?
Uncertain, perhaps "church" or "strife"
Irish saint's name, possibly from ceall (church) or ceallach (strife).
Say it right
KILLeeun
The C is always hard in Irish, like a K. In Munster the stress often moves to the middle: kil-EE-un.
Not:SILL-ee-unCHILL-ee-un
The story of Cillian
Cillian is an old Irish name borne by several early saints. Its origin is not certain. It may come from ceall, a church or monastic cell, or from ceallach, meaning strife. Outside Ireland it is often spelt Killian or Kilian.
The best-known saint of the name is Kilian, an Irish missionary bishop who worked in Franconia, in present-day Germany, in the later 600s. He is known there as the Apostle of Franconia. In our own time the Irish actor Cillian Murphy has made the name familiar around the world.
Cillian first appears in the CSO records in 1970. It grew steadily and has been in the top 25 every year since 2007. It reached number 4 in 2024, its best rank, with 358 boys. The CSO counts Cillían, with a fada, separately; five boys got that spelling in 2025. In Northern Ireland it did even better in 2024, reaching second place.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Cillian (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Killian
- Wikipedia: Saint Kilian
- Wikipedia: Cillian Murphy
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Cillian | 271 | 8,347 |
| Cillían | 5 | 22 |
In Northern Ireland
#11 in 2025 with 95 babies. Best rank #2 (2024); 1,694 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.