The Killen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,151 people carried this name — #7,968 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 70,900 people counted. That is up 11% from 3,726 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Killen surname

From the Irish surname, from Coilín.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Killen» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 14 births for the Killen name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 8
Leinster 3
Munster 2
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Killen in American newspapers,
1889–1913.

Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Killen
The Tacoma Times 1913-02-12
Newspaper page from The Sumpter Miner carrying the name Killen
The Sumpter Miner 1903-08-19
Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Killen
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1889-07-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Killen in Australian newspapers,
1850s–2000s.

14,517 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Killen. The most, 3,983, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,797
ACT (Canberra) 1,868
Queensland 1,867
Victoria 1,225
South Australia 519
Western Australia 332
Tasmania 282
Northern Territory 27

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Killen.

Who carried it

People named Killen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Dool Killen
    William Dool Killen 1806–1902 · historian
  • William Killen
    William Killen 1860–1939 · politician
  • William Killen
    William Killen 1860–1939 · politician
  • Frank Killen
    Frank Killen 1870–1939 · baseball player
  • James Killen
    James Killen 1925–2007 · politician
  • Edward Killen 1701–1806 · military personnel

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Killen,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States686 records

686 records of the Killen name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 225
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 153
  • Other U.S. records 308
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James T. Killen

    Born 1912 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; sales clerk from Davidson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1976, buried at Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Annie Killen

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow, aged 18; servant. From Derry, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Dewey Killen

    Born 1948; from Des Moines, Iowa. U.S. Marine Corps, engineer equipment mechanic; killed in action 1967 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 686 records for Killen in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia231 records

231 records of the Killen name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 103
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 59
  • Other Australian records 69
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Killen

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles, arriving 1820; certificate of freedom 1830.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Killen

    Arrived in Queensland in 1878 aboard the Ironside, aged 21.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Gary Peter Killen

    Clerk of Richmond, Victoria; died 1998.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 231 records for Killen in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands162 records

162 records of the Killen name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 96
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 51
  • Dutch population registers 15
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Gerritje Killen

    Married in 1851 in Ermelo; maidservant, born 1822 in Nijkerk. Died 1881 in Elspeet, aged 59; farmer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Maria Killen

    Married in 1846 in Roermond; "marsdraagster", born 1801 in Hastenrath (D). Died 1884 in Roermond, aged 83.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edna Killen

    Died 1945 in Leeuwarden, aged 39.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 162 records for Killen in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada118 records

118 records of the Killen name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 107
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 3
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Killen

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Scan, landing at Quebec, bound for Brace Bridge, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Malachi Killen

    Buried in 1972 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 61.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Murray Scott Killen

    Died 1972 in Truro, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 118 records for Killen in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Norway22 records

22 records of the Killen name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Gustav Killen

    Census of 1910: Parkveien, Kristiania; merchant, born 1869 in Drammen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Katherina Killen

    Census of 1910: Akersbakken, Kristiania; painter, born 1881 in Drammen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Oscar Killèn

    Census of 1910: Fredensborgvn, Kristiania; agent, born 1855 in Drammen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Killen in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Germany13 records

13 records of the Killen name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Killen

    From Kievelberg, Geilenkirchen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 15 November 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 332).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Josef Killen

    From Selsten, Heinsberg. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 17 June 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 13 records for Killen in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Killen name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. T. Killen

    Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Killen

    Scottish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Killen

    Corporal. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Killen in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Killen name in New Zealand Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Killen

    Buried in 1909 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 75.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Killen.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Killen is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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