Cillian is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Cillian means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Cillian across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Cillian has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Cillian is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “little church, or strife”. An Irish name borne by early saints.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,090 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,368 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 503 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,599 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,347 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Cillian per year, United States (1995 to 2025). United States peaked in 2024 (674/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2007 (377/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (285/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (142/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2024 (62/yr).
Cillian has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2024, when it ranked #939 nationally (given to 1,515 babies that year).
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