Kian

KEE-en or kee-AHN
Irish; Persian
"ancient; king"

Kian Origin and Meaning

The name Kian is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "ancient; king".

A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian.

Irish and Iranian has to be one of the most diverse pair of roots of any name. Kian can be a variation of the Irish Cian, very popular in its native land. While Cian is fairly rare in the US, Kian has been rising through the ranks for the past two decades. The Irish Cian or Kian is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, KEE-en, rhyming with Ian.

The Iranian Kian is pronounced kee-AHN, like the first two syllables of Keanu as in Reeves.

Spelled Kian, the name is popular throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, but it's impossible to say whether the parents choosing it are going for the Irish or Persian version. Some undoubtedly don't care and simply like the name, no matter what its origin.

# 428 in the US

Kian Rank in US Top 1000

# 379 on Nameberry

Kian Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Kian Popularity

Famous People Named Kian

  • Kian Hansen
    Danish footballer
  • Kian Emadi
    British cyclist
  • Kian Mitchum
    American model
  • Kian Kazemi
    Filipino actor
  • Kian Robert Lawley
    American YouTuber and actor
  • Kian John Francis Egan
    Irish singer of boy band Westlife
  • Kian Tajbakhsh
    Iranian,American scholar, sociologist, and urban planner
  • Kian Birch
    brother of American actress Thora Birch
  • Kian William Jarrahy (b. 2004)
    son of actress Geena Davis and Reza Jarrahy; twin brother Kaiis Steven Jarrahy
  • Kian Alexander MacKay (b. 2013)
    son of Canadian politician Peter MacKay
  • Kian Brownfield
    Australian singer

Kian in Pop Culture

  • Kian Alvane
    character in Dreamfall and Dreamfall Chapters
  • Also a Persian boys' name meaning "kings" pronounced kee
    AHN.