Kirin
A unisex name of Japanese origin meaning "giraffe" or "mythical hooved chimerical creature".
Name Census estimates that about 941 living Americans carry the first name Kirin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 56.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Kirin today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kirin births was 2011 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kirin. 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.
Key insights
- • Kirin was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
941
~ 1 in 364,245 Americans
Peak year
2011
47 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,120
Tracked since 1977
Gender
Gender distribution for Kirin
Kirin is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 957 total registrations, 544 (56.8%) were male and 413 (43.2%) were female.
Kirin as a male name
- Ranked #3,120 in 2024
- 39 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (39 births)
Kirin as a female name
- Ranked #14,373 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (17 births)
Popularity
Kirin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kirin from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 331 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kirin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kirin 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 Kirin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kirins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kirin
The given name Kirin has its origins in the Japanese language, derived from the word "kirin" which refers to a mythical hoofed creature resembling a deer with a single horn on its head. This name has been in use for centuries within Japanese culture and folklore.
In ancient Japanese mythology, the Kirin was a revered and highly auspicious creature, believed to appear only during the reign of a wise and virtuous ruler. Its presence was seen as a symbol of peace and prosperity, and it was often depicted in art, literature, and religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kirin can be found in the Kojiki, an ancient chronicle of Japanese mythology and history, compiled in the 8th century AD. This text mentions the Kirin as a sacred being that guided the first emperor of Japan, Jimmu, to establish his capital.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kirin. One of the most famous is Kirin Tor Bunshi (1770-1853), a renowned Edo-period poet and scholar known for his mastery of classical Japanese literature and poetry forms.
Another notable figure was Kirin Kiki (1909-2018), a celebrated Japanese actress who had a prolific career spanning over seven decades. She was recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan.
In the world of sports, Kirin Ichiban (1935-2008) was a legendary sumo wrestler who achieved the highest rank of Yokozuna and is widely regarded as one of the greatest rikishi (sumo wrestlers) of the 20th century.
Kirin Natsuo (1879-1942) was a prominent Japanese painter and printmaker known for his woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes from daily life. His works are highly regarded and can be found in many notable art collections around the world.
Lastly, Kirin Tojo (1884-1948) was a Japanese military leader and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan during World War II. He played a significant role in leading Japan's military campaigns and was later convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
While these are just a few examples, the name Kirin has been borne by many notable individuals throughout Japanese history, reflecting its cultural significance and deep roots in the country's mythology and traditions.
People
Kirin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kirin 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
Kirin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kirin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 941 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kirin 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 364,245 US residents.
Is Kirin a common name?
We classify Kirin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 957 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kirin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kirin was 2011, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kirin is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kirin a male name?
Yes, 56.8% of people registered as Kirin 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.