Cillian: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Cillian is an Irish boy's name meaning “associated with the church.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Associated with the church
- 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?
Cille means “associated with the church.” One St. Cillian left Ireland in about 650 AD with eleven companions and carried out his missionary work in the Rhine region of Germany where he became Bishop of Wurzburg after converting the local lord, Duke Gosbert of Wurzburg, to Christianity. Later Duke Gosbert married Geilana, his brother’s widow and Cillian declared the marriage invalid. While Gosbert was away on a military expedition, Geilana had Cillian beheaded when she found that Gosbert was going to leave her because their marriage was forbidden by the Church. The city of Wurzburg still celebrates a festival of mystery plays each year, known as Killianfest.
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. Three syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Cillian mean?
- Cillian means “associated with the 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.