Surname Killen - Meaning and Origin
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Killen: What does the surname Killen mean?
The surname Killen is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "O' Cillin," meaning "descendant of Cillin." The name Cillin is a diminutive of "ceall," translating to "church." Therefore, the surname can be generally interpreted as "descendant of the small church." It is primarily found in County Mayo and County Sligo in the west of Ireland. Variations of the name include Killeen, Killan, and Killion, among others. As with many other Irish surnames, the Killen surname has spread globally due to historical periods of Irish emigration. Although it retains a strong presence in its land of origin, bearers of the Killen surname can be found in places such as the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Order DNA origin analysisKillen: Where does the name Killen come from?
The surname Killen is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O Cillin." The name is widely considered as an Anglicized form of this Gaelic name. The word "Cillin" translates to "church" or "little church" in English. During the late Middle Ages, it evolved to Killen mostly in Northern Ireland, particularly in County Antrim.
Though the name started in Ireland, today it is found in numerous English-speaking nations due to migration, largely happening during the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. These countries include Ireland, UK (particularly in Northern Ireland), as well as Canada, Australia, and the United States. The populations of Killens in these countries are typically descendants of Irish emigrants who moved there in the past couple centuries. However, due to these migrations, the name is less common in Ireland now.
Variations of the surname Killen
The surname Killen is of Irish origin and has several spellings, variations, and similar surnames. The original form in Ireland from which Killen is derived is O' Cillin. This name might also be anglicized as Killan. However, the spelling could vary greatly in the past due to illiteracy and different transcription methods.
Other variations of the name include Killeen, Killon, Killian, and Killean. Each of these forms has a slightly different geographic distribution, although they all come from the same original Gaelic root. Some surnames that could be related to Killen due to phonetic similarity or a different anglicization of the original Gaelic name include Keeling, Keillan, and Quillin.
There are also several names derived from Killen, such as Killenbeck or Killens, that might share the same origin but have been modified over time. It should be noted that names might have evolved differently across various regions, which could lead to differing surnames with the same root. Furthermore, some families might have changed their name to Killen after immigration, particularly in the United States, due to similarities in pronunciation or spelling.
Famous people with the name Killen
- Dr Meg Killen: Australian behavioural scientist.
- Padraic Killen: American politician.
- Ryan Killen: American musician and producer.
- Ken Killen: Canadian football player.
- Michael Killen: Australian producer and composer.
- Alicia Killen: American model and influencer.
- Peter Killen: British singer and musician.
- Darrell Killen: American NASCAR driver.
- Barry Killen: Canadian actor.
- Alex Killen: British illustrator and artist.
- John Killen: American professor and writer.
- Robert Killen: English historian and genealogist.
- Trevan Killen: American visual effects artist.
- Eric Killen: American actor and screenwriter.
- Michaela Killen: British singer and musician.
- Sally Killen: Canadian artist and photographer.
- Jaine Killen: Scottish writer and theologian.
- Richard Killen: Canadian researcher and professor.
- Curran Killen: American director and actor.
- Johnny Killen: American film producer and actor.