NameCensus.

UK surname

Killian

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Cillín," derived from a diminutive of the given name Ceallachán.

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Killian surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 278, ranked #15,579, up from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Durham St Oswald, Manchester and St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, County Durham and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Killian is 299 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 291.5%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

278

2016, ranked #15,579

Peak year

2010

299 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Killian had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 278 in 2016, ranked #15,579.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Killian surname distribution map

The map shows where the Killian surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Killian surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Killian over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19 #29,904
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 99 #24,200
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 291 #13,792
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 295 #14,108
2000 modern 292 #14,165
2001 modern 287 #14,131
2002 modern 290 #14,314
2003 modern 286 #14,259
2004 modern 292 #14,109
2005 modern 293 #14,030
2006 modern 280 #14,535
2007 modern 287 #14,464
2008 modern 288 #14,537
2009 modern 289 #14,809
2010 modern 299 #14,769
2011 modern 299 #14,631
2012 modern 294 #14,705
2013 modern 281 #15,487
2014 modern 283 #15,495
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 278 #15,579

Geography

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Where Killians are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Durham St Oswald, Manchester, St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital, Glasgow and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, County Durham and Brighton and Hove. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Durham St Oswald Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital Kent
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 018 Walsall
2 Walsall 013 Walsall
3 Walsall 012 Walsall
4 County Durham 028 County Durham
5 Brighton and Hove 009 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Killian

These lists show first names that appear often with the Killian surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Killian

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Killian, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Killian surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Killian household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Killian is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Killian is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Killian falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Killian is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Killian, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Killian

The surname Killian has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Cillian," which means "bright-headed" or "brilliant." The name was originally associated with the ancient Irish kingdom of Munster, particularly in County Cork and County Limerick.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Killian can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a notable figure named Cillian mac Máil Úama, who lived in the 7th century and was a prominent scholar and monk in Munster.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork, which were administrative records of the English crown in Ireland. These rolls listed several individuals with the surname Killian, indicating that the name had become well-established in the region by that time.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Killian throughout history, one can mention:

1. Saint Killian (c. 640-689), an Irish missionary and martyr who traveled to Germany to preach Christianity. He is venerated as the patron saint of several German towns and cities.

2. Cornelius Killian (1738-1808), an Irish-born American businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of New York City.

3. James Killian (1904-1988), a prominent American academic and engineer who served as the 10th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1949 to 1959.

4. Mary Killian (1858-1935), an Irish-American labor activist and trade unionist who fought for better working conditions and wages for women in the garment industry.

5. Johannes Killian (1571-1631), a German engraver and publisher known for his detailed maps and city views, including his famous "Topographia Palatina" depicting the cities and landscapes of the Palatinate region.

The surname Killian has also been associated with several place names, such as Killian Hill in County Carlow, Ireland, and Killian's Settlement, a historic community in Pennsylvania, United States, established by Irish immigrants in the 18th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Killian families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Killian surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 34 Killians recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 34 4.14x
Durham 11 5.34x
Kent 7 2.96x
Warwickshire 5 2.86x
Yorkshire 5 0.73x
Lanarkshire 3 1.34x
Essex 2 1.46x
Lincolnshire 1 0.90x
Norfolk 1 0.94x
Northumberland 1 0.97x
Sussex 1 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wingate in Durham leads with 8 Killians recorded in 1881 and an index of 567.38x.

Place Total Index
Wingate 8 567.38x
Much Woolton 7 630.63x
Newchurch 7 104.17x
Wardleworth 7 149.25x
Erith 5 214.59x
Manchester 5 13.53x
Blackburn 4 18.30x
Wakefield 4 75.90x
Aston 3 6.24x
Elvet 3 201.34x
Birmingham 2 3.44x
Glasgow 2 5.03x
North Meols 2 24.88x
West Ham 2 6.63x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 15.34x
Canterbury St Mary 1 62.89x
Fenwick 1 5000.00x
Goole 1 86.96x
Gorbals 1 75.19x
Great Yarmouth 1 11.34x
Haxey 1 212.77x
Mayfield 1 144.93x
Wavertree 1 38.02x
Woolwich 1 11.45x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Killian surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Bridget 4
Ann 3
Catherine 2
Margaret 2
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Lilly 1
Maggie 1
Sara 1
Sarah 1
Winiford 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Killian surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 7
James 5
Michael 5
Thomas 3
Patrick 2
William 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Augustine 1
Bernard 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Michl. 1
Norman 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Killian surname: questions and answers

How common was the Killian surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Killian surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Killian surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 278 in 2016. That gives Killian a modern rank of #15,579.

What does the Killian surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Cillín," derived from a diminutive of the given name Ceallachán.

What does the Killian map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Killian bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.