Alani
Alani was the 161st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,843 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 368 places. More babies were named Alani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hawaiian
Say it uh-LAH-nee /əˈlɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #161 girls, up 60 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,843girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,843 babies
- Total since 1880
- 18,910babies recorded
What does the name Alani mean?
Alani is used as a Hawaiian name. In Hawaiian, alani is the word for a group of native shrubs and trees related to citrus, and Wikipedia gives the meaning 'orange'. Wikipedia adds that some families see it as a modern variant of Alan or Alana, and that its rise matches other Hawaiian or Hawaiian-style names with the -lani ending, such as Leilani. Because the uses differ, we do not give it a single meaning.
alani (Hawaiian, “native citrus-family shrubs; orange (per Wikipedia)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Hawaiian plant word is documented; other uses treat it as a variant of Alana or a -lani blend.
Related names: Alana, Leilani, Lani, Ailani.
See also: Hawaiian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'alani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Alani (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Alani
The usual nicknames for Alani are Lani. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Alani in the last five years, 6 were named Lani, against 62 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lani · also for Naylani, Leylani, Leilani | Modern | #1,603 | 522 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alanis go by each one.
Alani popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 111 since 2004, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #161 | 1,843 |
| 2020 | #221 | 1,320 |
| 2010 | #717 | 394 |
| 2000 | #1,558 | 114 |
| 1990 | #6,876 | 12 |
| 1980 | #6,801 | 9 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alani, counting every spelling?
Alani is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #151 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #161 for Alani on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,246 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alani | 1,843 | #161 | 8,505 |
| Alanni | 98 | #1,962 | 440 |
| Alany | 117 | #1,733 | 338 |
| Alanie | 52 | #3,104 | 220 |
| Aalani | 60 | #2,822 | 200 |
| Alanny | 38 | #3,833 | 132 |
| Alannie | 15 | #7,147 | 74 |
| Allani | 7 | #11,998 | 64 |
| Alanee | — | — | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alani?
1,843 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alani (0.51 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alani born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alani?
About 18,700 people born in the US named Alani are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 12. That makes Alani a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alani by state
How common Alani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (3.3×), Mississippi (2.5×), Louisiana (2.3×), Nevada (2.3×), Georgia (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, West Virginia, Iowa.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alani, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alani · Sibling names for Alani
Questions about the name Alani
What does Alani mean?
The origin of Alani is uncertain: the Hawaiian plant word is documented; other uses treat it as a variant of Alana or a -lani blend.
How popular is the name Alani?
Alani was the 161st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,843 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 368 places. More babies were named Alani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Alani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alani in the US.
Where is Alani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alani was most common in Delaware (3.44 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and Louisiana.