Kailani
Kailani was the 253rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,215 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 222nd with 1,350 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 625 places. More babies were named Kailani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kaylani) sea and sky (variant of Kailani) · Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #253 girls, up 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,215girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,350 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,823babies recorded
What does the name Kailani mean?
Kailani is a spelling of Kaylani, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kaylani's meaning and origin.
Kaylani is an American spelling of Kailani, which Wiktionary derives from Hawaiian kai, 'sea', and lani, 'sky, heaven'. Both words are well documented in Hawaiian; Wiktionary's Hawaiian entry for kai cites the standard Pukui and Elbert dictionary. The spelling with -y- follows the pattern of names like Kaylee and Kayla. Wikipedia has no entry for the given name, while Wiktionary records Kailani as a girl's name from Hawaiian.
kai (Hawaiian, “sea”)lani (Hawaiian, “sky, heaven”)
How sure is this? Probable. Hawaiian elements are clear; the name itself is a modern American form.
Related names: Kailani, Leilani, Kehlani, Lani.
See also: Hawaiian names, names that mean water, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kailani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'kai', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'lani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Kailani popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 45 since 2007.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #253 | 1,215 |
| 2020 | #282 | 1,133 |
| 2010 | #1,276 | 187 |
| 2000 | #2,756 | 53 |
| 1990 | #7,557 | 11 |
| 1980 | #7,721 | 8 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kailani, counting every spelling?
Kailani is a spelling of Kaylani, a name family that ranked #59 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #253 for Kailani on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,327 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaylani | 1,675 | #185 | 6,578 |
| Kailani | 1,215 | #253 | 6,168 |
| Keilani | 383 | #727 | 2,096 |
| Kailany | 511 | #581 | 1,404 |
| Keilany | 191 | #1,198 | 722 |
| Kaelani | 110 | #1,824 | 550 |
| Kaylanie | 52 | #3,121 | 295 |
| Kaylanni | 29 | #4,702 | 180 |
| Caylani | 27 | #4,899 | 131 |
| Cailani | 24 | #5,273 | 105 |
| Kaylany | 26 | #5,038 | 92 |
| Kailanni | 10 | #9,761 | 60 |
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 Kailani?
1,215 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kailani (0.34 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kailani 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kailani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kailani?
About 12,700 people born in the US named Kailani are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 10. That makes Kailani 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.
Kailani by state
How common Kailani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (10.9×), New Mexico (2.8×), Delaware (2.4×), Nevada (2.2×), Mississippi (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Missouri, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kailani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kailani, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kailani
What does Kailani mean?
Kailani is a spelling of Kaylani, which means “sea and sky (variant of Kailani)” (Hawaiian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kailani?
Kailani was the 253rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,215 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 222nd with 1,350 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 625 places. More babies were named Kailani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kailani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kailani in the US.
Where is Kailani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kailani was most common in Hawaii (8.29 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Delaware.