| Sullivan | Kieran | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark-eyed (disputed) | little dark one |
| Origin | irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SUHL-ih-vuhn | KEER-uhn |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1884 | 1918 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,083) | 2025 (817) |
| In 2025 | 1,083 | 817 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Sullivan | Kieran |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5,564 | 3,946 |
| 2010s | 6,428 | 5,282 |
| 2000s | 2,135 | 4,412 |
| 1990s | 535 | 2,177 |
| 1980s | 83 | 610 |
| 1970s | 86 | 415 |
| 1960s | 85 | 374 |
| 1950s | 129 | 222 |
| 1940s | 114 | 81 |
| 1930s | 110 | 48 |
| 1920s | 141 | 38 |
| 1910s | 122 | 8 |
| 1900s | 10 | 0 |
| 1890s | 63 | 0 |
| 1880s | 30 | 0 |
Anglicized from Irish O Suilleabhain, from 'suil' meaning 'eye' plus a second element usually read as 'dubh' (dark/black), giving 'dark-eyed'. The second element is disputed; alternative readings give 'one-eyed' or 'hawk-eyed', so the 'dark' sense is probable rather than certain.
Anglicized from Irish Ciaran, a diminutive of 'ciar' meaning 'black, dark', giving 'little dark one'. Borne by several early Irish saints.
Sullivan is more popular than Kieran today: about 1,083 US babies were given the name Sullivan in 2025, compared with 817 named Kieran.
Sullivan means dark-eyed (disputed) (irish origin), while Kieran means little dark one (irish origin).
In US records, Sullivan first appears in 1884 and Kieran in 1918, so Sullivan has the longer recorded history.