Kiran
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- KI-ran
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,613 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,267 for boys
Kiran is a name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “ray of light”. In 2025 it ranked 1,613th for boys in the UK (17 babies) and 1,267th for boys in the US (155 babies).
What does Kiran mean?
Sanskrit: from Sanskrit kirana
“ray of light”
From Sanskrit kirana, a ray or beam of light; used for both boys and girls across India.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Kiran a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Kiran has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 4 girls and 17 boys in the UK and 17 girls and 155 boys in the US.
How popular is Kiran in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,613th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 17 about 1 in 18,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 17 boys in the UK were named Kiran, making it the 1,613th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,829th. Its busiest year was 2002, with 84 boys. 4 girls were also named Kiran in 2025 (4,935th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Kiran in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 1996, 76% of the babies named Kiran in the UK were girls. By 2025 it was 19%, with more boys than girls since 2022.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,537th in England and Wales.
Kiran in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #1,613 |
| 2024 | 16 | #1,664 |
| 2023 | 17 | #1,571 |
| 2022 | 11 | #2,143 |
| 2021 | 7 | #2,886 |
| 2020 | 13 | #1,829 |
| 2019 | 20 | #1,351 |
| 2018 | 25 | #1,173 |
| 2017 | 16 | #1,649 |
| 2016 | 22 | #1,309 |
| 2015 | 20 | #1,367 |
| 2014 | 18 | #1,454 |
| 2013 | 36 | #904 |
| 2012 | 35 | #941 |
| 2011 | 34 | #929 |
| 2010 | 40 | #817 |
| 2009 | 49 | #703 |
| 2008 | 44 | #744 |
| 2007 | 58 | #587 |
| 2006 | 49 | #643 |
| 2005 | 50 | #590 |
| 2004 | 49 | #583 |
| 2003 | 68 | #425 |
| 2002 | 84 | #349 |
| 2001 | 69 | #392 |
| 2000 | 78 | #365 |
| 1999 | 69 | #375 |
| 1998 | 56 | #432 |
| 1997 | 38 | #535 |
| 1996 | 42 | #479 |
How popular is Kiran in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,267th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 155 about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 40% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 155 boys in the US were named Kiran, making it the 1,267th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,609th. It first appears in the records in 1970. 17 girls were also named Kiran in 2025 (6,545th for girls).
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the most boys named Kiran of any year since it first appeared, in 1970.
Half of all the boys named Kiran in the US since 1880 were born between 2003 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1975, 70% of the babies named Kiran in the US were girls. By 2025 it was 10%, with more boys than girls since 2003.
Kiran in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 155 | #1,267 |
| 2024 | 142 | #1,344 |
| 2023 | 109 | #1,591 |
| 2022 | 108 | #1,611 |
| 2021 | 118 | #1,503 |
| 2020 | 100 | #1,609 |
| 2019 | 93 | #1,698 |
| 2018 | 98 | #1,648 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1,612 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1,563 |
| 2015 | 124 | #1,388 |
| 2014 | 97 | #1,608 |
| 2013 | 114 | #1,444 |
| 2012 | 119 | #1,398 |
| 2011 | 102 | #1,544 |
| 2010 | 102 | #1,558 |
| 2009 | 116 | #1,443 |
| 2008 | 119 | #1,414 |
| 2007 | 88 | #1,713 |
| 2006 | 90 | #1,605 |
| 2005 | 87 | #1,582 |
| 2004 | 87 | #1,528 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1,558 |
| 2002 | 71 | #1,657 |
| 2001 | 53 | #2,003 |
| 2000 | 52 | #1,964 |
| 1999 | 61 | #1,707 |
| 1998 | 45 | #2,065 |
| 1997 | 34 | #2,393 |
| 1996 | 37 | #2,213 |
| 1995 | 22 | #3,095 |
| 1994 | 25 | #2,842 |
| 1993 | 30 | #2,449 |
| 1992 | 25 | #2,741 |
| 1991 | 20 | #3,099 |
| 1990 | 11 | #4,667 |
| 1989 | 12 | #4,265 |
| 1988 | 16 | #3,198 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 13 | #3,398 |
| 1984 | 15 | #2,955 |
| 1983 | 16 | #2,786 |
| 1982 | 17 | #2,708 |
| 1981 | 15 | #2,896 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,728 |
| 1979 | 14 | #3,017 |
| 1978 | 15 | #2,798 |
| 1977 | 14 | #2,909 |
| 1976 | 15 | #2,708 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,426 |
| 1974 | 6 | #4,632 |
| 1973 | 5 | #5,099 |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 8 | #3,519 |
Names like Kiran
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Kian, Ronan, Declan, Kayden, Rohan, Aiden, Keegan, Dylan, Arjan, Finn, Kenan, Keelan
Names related to Kiran
Kieran, Karina, Kyran, Karan, Keiran, Kairon, Kairan, Kiarna, Kiernan, Kirin, Kairen, Kyrian, Kairyn
More Sanskrit names
Maya, Bodhi, Arya, Lila, Arjun, Aarav, Kali, Aryan, Opal, Vihaan, Aadhya, Avyaan, Ishaan, Siya, Leena, Shivansh
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kiran: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kiran, updated 20 October 2026.