Unisex, used for both girls and boys · Sanskrit · Hindu
Kiran
किरणSay it KI-run
- Meaning
- A ray or beam of light, a sunbeam or moonbeam Monier-Williams, p. 283
- Say it
- KI-run
- Written
- किरण
Kiran
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Kiran meaning
Kiran (किरण) is a Hindu unisex name of Sanskrit origin, used for both girls and boys.
A ray or beam of light, a sunbeam or moonbeam
Kiran (किरण) is Sanskrit kiraṇa. Its oldest sense in Monier-Williams is a surprise: 'dust, very minute dust'. In later Sanskrit it settles into the meaning everyone knows today, a ray or beam of light, a sunbeam or moonbeam, and by extension the sun itself. The word still means a ray of light in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu and many other languages, so the name is understood across India and is also used in Nepal and Pakistan. Kiran is given to both boys and girls. Well-known bearers include Kiran Bedi, the first woman to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service, and the Booker Prize-winning novelist Kiran Desai.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 283 · entry kiraṇa · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, kiraṇa, p. 283 · Wikipedia, Kiran Bedi · The Daily Star (2006), Kiran Desai clinches Man Booker Prize
Famous namesakes
- Kiran Bedi, first woman officer of the Indian Police Service
- Kiran Desai, Booker Prize-winning novelist
Fits your syllable
First sound कि
Mrigashira nakshatra, pada 4 · Mithun rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is की, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.