Fun Facts About the Name Khian
- 94 babies named Khian: U.S. records list 94 babies given the name Khian from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Khian Mean?
Khian is an English-language respelling of Kian. In its most common derivation, Kian is an anglicized form of the Irish name Cian, from Old Irish cían, meaning "long, far, distant" and, of time, "enduring" or "ancient." The usual gloss "ancient, enduring" is a customary interpretation of that literal sense. The traditional Irish spelling is Cian; Kian is the English form, and Khian adds an h that is not part of the Irish spelling.
A separate name, Kian, is Persian, from Middle Persian kayān, the plural of kay ("king"). It is normally written Kian in English. The Kh- spelling is not the standard transliteration of the Persian name, so Khian is not best explained as a traditional Persian form. If Khian is used with the Persian name in mind, the intended meaning would be "king" or "royal," but that is a separate origin from the Irish-derived Kian.
Khian Name History & Origins
The Irish name Cian belongs to early Irish tradition. In medieval Irish literature, Cian is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, son of the physician-god Dian Cécht and father of the hero Lugh. The story of his death at the hands of the sons of Tuireann and Lugh's subsequent quest for vengeance is told in Oidheadh Chlainne Tuireann (The Fate of the Children of Tuireann). Cian also appears in genealogies of Irish families, and the name remained in use in Ireland. When Irish names were adapted into English, Cian was rendered as Kian; the spelling Khian is an English variation that does not reflect the Irish original.
Persian Kian has a different history. It comes from Middle Persian kayān, a plural or royal form related to kay, the title of legendary kings in Iranian tradition, including figures in the Shāhnāmeh. It is common in Iran and among Persian speakers and is normally transliterated Kian. The Kh- spelling is not the usual way to write this Persian name in Latin letters.
How Popular is the Name Khian?
Khian has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2014. Its best rank was #7,319 in 2014.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,228 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #8,669 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,160 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #13,192 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #11,528 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #11,537 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #11,513 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #9,197 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #7,319 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #11,588 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #11,550 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #10,499 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #8,607 | 9 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Khian Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Khian's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Khian's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.