Kiran

Kiran is a unisex given name of Sanskrit origin. It derives from kirāṇa meaning ray or beam of light, and is used in many Indian languages to denote brightness or illumination. The name is common across South Asia and among diaspora communities, particularly in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and in languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. While primarily a given name, Kiran can occasionally appear as a surname in some communities.

Notable people with the name include Kiran Bedi (born 1949), Indian police officer, social activist, and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry; Kiran Rao (born 1973), film producer and director; Kiran Desai (born 1971), author who won the Booker Prize in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss; and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 1953), biotechnology entrepreneur and founder of Biocon. The name has appeared in literature and film as a representation of light or brightness.

The name's usage reflects linguistic roots in Sanskrit and its adaptation into multiple Indian languages, contributing to its widespread presence in South Asian naming traditions.