Kiran is a Sanskrit name that means "ray of light" or "sunbeam", used for both boys and girls across India; it also serves as a spelling of the Irish Kieran, "little dark one". That double heritage makes it one of the few names that feel at home in Mumbai and Dublin alike. In the United States Kiran has moved up from number 1,984 in 2000 to number 1,272 in 2025, its best rank to date.