Kehlani
Kehlani was the 149th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,981 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,130 places. More babies were named Kehlani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented
Say it kay-LAH-nee /keɪˈlɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #149 girls, up 19 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,981girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,981 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,532babies recorded
What does the name Kehlani mean?
Kehlani is a modern American name made widely known by the R&B singer Kehlani (born 1995 in Oakland, California). It looks Hawaiian and ends in lani, a Hawaiian word for 'sky, heaven' that also appears in names like Leilani and Kailani, but the spelling with h is not standard Hawaiian and we found no dictionary source for the name as a whole. We therefore do not give it a meaning. It is usually said kay-LAH-nee.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented origin; the -lani ending suggests Hawaiian inspiration, but the name is not a verified Hawaiian word.
Related names: Kailani, Leilani, Lani.
Sources for this meaning
- Wikipedia, 'Kehlani', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'lani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Kehlani
The usual nicknames for Kehlani are Lani. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Kehlani in the last five years, 5 were named Lani.
| 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 Kehlanis go by each one.
Kehlani popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 51 since 2016, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #149 | 1,981 |
| 2020 | #168 | 1,713 |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kehlani, counting every spelling?
Kehlani is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #166 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #149 for Kehlani on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,025 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kehlani | 1,981 | #149 | 9,570 |
| Kehlany | 34 | #4,223 | 162 |
| Kehlanie | 10 | #9,781 | 60 |
| Kehlanni | — | — | 41 |
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 Kehlani?
1,981 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kehlani (0.55 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kehlani 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kehlani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kehlani?
About 14,400 people born in the US named Kehlani are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 2 and 6. That makes Kehlani 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.
Kehlani by state
How common Kehlani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (4.1×), Hawaii (3.0×), Delaware (2.8×), Louisiana (2.7×), New Mexico (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, Alaska, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kehlani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kehlani, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kehlani · Sibling names for Kehlani
Questions about the name Kehlani
How popular is the name Kehlani?
Kehlani was the 149th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,981 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,130 places. More babies were named Kehlani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kehlani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kehlani in the US.
Where is Kehlani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kehlani was most common in Mississippi (4.79 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and Delaware.