Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Kirin isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1977. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kirin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 983
- 570 boys · 413 girls
- Most popular year
- 2011
- 47 babies
- 2025
- 26
- #4,093 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 26 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,093 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 900 as a first name in 2020; 258 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kirin’s family of names
Kirin has a related form in Kiran. In Russian usage, Kirin as a surname is a transliteration of Кирин.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kirin
- Kirin KikiJapanese actress (1943-2018)
- Kirin NarayanIndian-born American anthropologist and writerborn 1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kirin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kaidan
“a beloved companion”
96% boys · 4% girls
Camdon
“of the enclosed valley” · “from the winding valley”
>99% boys
Kayvon
“a handsome man”
>99% boys
Kaelen
“a mighty warrior”
90% boys · 10% girls
Kaicyn
94% boys · 6% girls
Candan
“a sincere man”
>99% boys
Carrson
>99% boys
Kahden
>99% boys