Kalani

Kalani - A very unique female name

Kalani appeared on the charts for the first time in 1980 on position #3360. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Kalani and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Kalani? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Kalani. The baby girl name Kalani was given to 760 baby girls in 2025, ranking #395 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,715 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kalani peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 338.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Kalani, 1-5?

Kalani is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kalani is currently topping the baby name charts in Louisiana at position #102 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #985.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kalani is where you live.

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Kalani origin and meaning

Hawaiian

'The heavens, the sky' — from ka, 'the,' and lani, 'sky, heaven'

Kalani is a genuine Hawaiian name and word, lani being the element for sky and chiefly rank found in many Hawaiian names. It has been used in US data since 1980, peaked in 2021, and sits within a popular family of -lani names.

Attested etymology

Kalani is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Kalani, pop culture references for the name Kalani and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Kalani

We've found the following names that sound similar to Kalani, sorted by popularity.

Kaylin / Kehlani / Kaelyn / Kailyn / Kailani / Kaylani / Kaylynn / Kaylyn / Kalyn / Kaylen /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Kalani

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Kalani a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Kalani?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

kuh-LAH-nee · /kəˈlɑːni/

Around the world

• Kalani (Hawaiian) — The source name

Spellings and nicknames

• Kailani — The related longer name, 'sea and sky'
• Kelani — Respelling with e

Nicknames: LaniKala

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

InternationalNature

Why parents choose it

A lyrical Hawaiian name with a real celestial meaning and a gentle, flowing sound.

Worth knowing

• Confused with Kailani, Kehlani and Kalania — the -lani family is crowded and spellings blur.