Save Gender Masculine Usage Breton (Archaic), French (Archaic) Pronounced Pron. KEE-LEE-YAWN(French) KEEL-YAWN(French) [key] Other Forms FormsKillien Meaning & History Breton and French form of Killian, which is no longer in use as a given name today, but it still survives as a patronymic surname (which is most prevalent in Brittany and the rest of northwestern France).