NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Keilan

An Irish boy's name with possible meanings of "celestial", "bright-headed", or "bright warrior".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Keilan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Keilan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 16 births.

This profile covers 184 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 188 living people in the UK are called Keilan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Keilan ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 16 boys were registered as Keilan.
  • Keilan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #321 in 2003.
  • About 188 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keilan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2007

16 births

Estimated living

188

2026

Meaning

What does Keilan mean?

The name Keilan is believed to have originated from the ancient Celtic language and culture. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries AD, when the Celts inhabited parts of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and certain regions of continental Europe.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Keilan can be found in the Irish Annals, a collection of historical records dating back to the 6th century. In these annals, Keilan is mentioned as the name of a prominent Irish scholar and monk who lived in the 7th century. However, the exact meaning or etymology of the name is not clearly defined in these ancient texts.

Throughout the centuries, the name Keilan has been associated with various notable historical figures. One of the most famous individuals bearing this name was Keilan of Inishcaltra, an Irish monk and scribe who lived in the 8th century. He is renowned for his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and his work in the monastic scriptorium on the island of Inishcaltra, located in Lough Derg, Ireland.

Another notable figure with the name Keilan was Keilan of Glendalough, a 10th-century Irish abbot and bishop who served as the head of the monastic community at Glendalough, County Wicklow. He is remembered for his efforts in promoting education and religious studies during his time.

In the 12th century, Keilan of Clonmacnoise, an Irish monk and historian, is recorded as having written an important chronicle documenting the history of Ireland during that period. His work, known as the Annals of Clonmacnoise, provides valuable insights into the events and people of that era.

Moving forward in time, Keilan O'Daly, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and landowner, is another notable figure associated with this name. He played a significant role in the political and military conflicts of his time, defending his lands against English colonization efforts.

While the name Keilan has its roots in the Celtic culture and has a rich history, it has also been adopted and used in various other parts of the world over the centuries. However, its earliest and most prominent associations remain rooted in the ancient Celtic traditions and the historical records of Ireland and Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Keilan over time

The chart below shows babies named Keilan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Keilan, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 16 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Keilan
0481216199620102024

Decades

Keilan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keilan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4954 6 2
2010s #2649 63 8
2000s #2109 92 10
1990s #1954 23 4

Geography

Where Keilan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keilan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Keilan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #321 in 2003.

Scotland
6

Across the UK

Keilan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#321 in 2003

1 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Keilan

FAQ

Keilan: questions and answers

How popular is the name Keilan in the UK right now?

In 2024, Keilan was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Keilan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 16 babies registered as Keilan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Keilan?

An Irish boy's name with possible meanings of "celestial", "bright-headed", or "bright warrior".

How many people are called Keilan in the UK?

A total of 184 babies have been registered as Keilan across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Keilan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Keilan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #321 in 2003. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.