Kiran
Kiran was the 1272nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 155 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 120 places. More babies were named Kiran in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kyren) variant of Kieran (probable) · Irish, American English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,272 boys, up 344 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 155boys
- Girls and boys
- 9% girls, 91% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025155 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,041babies recorded
What does the name Kiran mean?
Kiran is a spelling of Kyren, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kyren's meaning and origin.
Kyren is a modern spelling, recorded in the US from 1990, that most likely represents Kieran, the anglicized form of the Irish name Ciarán, from ciar 'dark, black' with a diminutive ending, so 'little dark one'. Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise was a 6th-century founder of monasteries. Wiktionary lists Kyren without an etymology, and some bearers may have it as a blend of Ky- and -ren names.
ciar (Irish, “dark, black”)
How sure is this? Probable. The link to Kieran is likely but not documented for this spelling.
Related names: Kieran, Kyran, Ciarán, Keiran.
See also: Irish names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kyren', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kieran', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Kiran popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,697 | #1,272 | 17 | 155 |
| 2020 | #8,694 | #1,616 | 12 | 100 |
| 2010 | #3,921 | #1,561 | 39 | 102 |
| 2000 | #2,618 | #1,984 | 57 | 52 |
| 1990 | #3,850 | #4,858 | 27 | 11 |
| 1980 | #3,673 | #2,795 | 22 | 17 |
| 1970 | #5,597 | #3,687 | 9 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kiran, counting every spelling?
Kiran is a spelling of Kyren, a name family that ranked #355 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,272 for Kiran on its own. Together these spellings went to 945 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyren | 504 | #584 | 1,393 |
| Kiran | 155 | #1,272 | 632 |
| Kyrin | 85 | #1,857 | 469 |
| Kyron | 83 | #1,896 | 447 |
| Kyran | 68 | #2,133 | 443 |
| Kirin | 26 | #4,093 | 141 |
| Kyryn | 12 | #7,030 | 36 |
| Kiren | 7 | #10,237 | 31 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kiran?
155 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kiran (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kiran born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 54 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kiran.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kiran?
About 3,100 people born in the US named Kiran are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 7 and 22. That makes Kiran mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kiran by state
How common Kiran was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (3.0×), Massachusetts (2.2×), New York (2.0×), California (1.7×). In 37 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kiran: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kiran, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kiran
What does Kiran mean?
Kiran is a spelling of Kyren, which means “variant of Kieran (probable)” (Irish, American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kiran?
Kiran was the 1272nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 155 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 120 places. More babies were named Kiran in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Kiran a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 9% girls, 91% boys given the name Kiran in the US.
Where is Kiran most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kiran was most common in District of Columbia (0.47 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Massachusetts.