Kiren
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "bright ray of light".
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the first name Kiren. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Kiren today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiren births was 2011 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiren. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
227
~ 1 in 1,509,931 Americans
Peak year
2011
18 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,693
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Kiren
Kiren leans heavily male at 85.6% of total registrations, but 33 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kiren as a male name
- Ranked #11,693 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (12 births)
Kiren as a female name
- Ranked #15,872 in 2011
- 6 female births in 2011
- Peak: 1999 (6 births)
Popularity
Kiren: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kiren from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 93 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kiren remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiren by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kiren during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kiren
The name Kiren is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is derived from the word "kiran," which means "ray of light" or "beam of light." The name has been in use for centuries and is traditionally given to children with the hope that they will bring joy and enlightenment to their families and the world around them.
In Hindu mythology, Kiran is also the name of a minor deity associated with the sun and its radiant energy. This connection to the sun and light has contributed to the name's enduring popularity across various cultures and regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kiren can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The text mentions a character named Kiren, a warrior who fought alongside the Pandava princes during the great war of Kurukshetra.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kiren. One of the most famous was Kiren Rijiju, an Indian politician who served as the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Indian government from 2014 to 2021. Born in 1971, Rijiju hails from the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and has been a prominent voice for the region's interests at the national level.
Another notable Kiren was Kiren Bedi (born 1949), a former Indian police officer and social activist. Bedi gained international recognition for her efforts in reforming the Tihar Jail in New Delhi, where she introduced several innovative programs aimed at rehabilitating inmates and improving their living conditions.
In the realm of sports, Kiren Rijiju (born 1987) is a former Indian football player who represented the national team and played for various clubs in India and abroad. His career spanned from 2005 to 2018, and he is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in Indian football history.
Another notable figure was Kiren Desai (1924-2008), an Indian writer and activist. Born in Gujarat, Desai was a prominent voice in the fight against colonialism and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement. Her literary works, which often explored themes of social injustice and gender inequality, earned her critical acclaim and several prestigious awards.
Kiren Ahuja (born 1972) is an Indian-American business executive who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Neuberger Berman, a leading global investment management firm. Prior to her current role, Ahuja held leadership positions at various financial institutions, including Putnam Investments and Wellington Management Company.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Kiren throughout history. While the name's origins can be traced back to ancient India, its meaning and significance have transcended cultural boundaries, making it a popular choice for parents around the world who wish to imbue their children with the qualities of light, joy, and enlightenment.
People
Kiren + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiren as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kiren: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiren?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 227 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiren going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,509,931 US residents.
Is Kiren a common name?
We classify Kiren as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 229 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiren most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiren was 2011, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiren is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kiren a male name?
Yes, 85.6% of people registered as Kiren in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.