Leilani
Leilani was the 60th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,792 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 59th with 3,868 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Leilani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning heavenly lei; royal child · Hawaiian
Say it lay-LAH-nee /leɪˈlɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #60 girls, up 32 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,792girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20223,868 babies
- Total since 1880
- 56,491babies recorded
What does the name Leilani mean?
Leilani is a Hawaiian name made from lei, a garland of flowers or leaves (also used figuratively for a beloved child), and lani, 'sky, heaven', which also meant 'royal' or a high chief. Wiktionary therefore reads it as 'heavenly lei' or 'royal child'. It became widely known on the mainland through the 1930s song 'Sweet Leilani', which Bing Crosby made famous.
lei (Hawaiian, “garland; beloved child”)lani (Hawaiian, “sky, heaven; royal, high chief”)
How sure is this? Probable. The element meanings come from Wiktionary's Hawaiian entries, which cite Pukui & Elbert; a direct check of the Hawaiian Dictionary is still needed.
Related names: Lailani, Leilany, Kaylani, Alani, Lani.
See also: Hawaiian names, names that mean king or queen, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leilani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'lani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'lei', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Sweet Leilani', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Leilani
The usual nicknames for Leilani are Lani. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Leilani in the last five years, 3 were named Lani, against 15 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lani · also for Naylani, Leylani, Kehlani | Modern | #1,603 | 522 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Leilanis go by each one.
Leilani popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 25 since 2003.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #60 | 3,792 |
| 2020 | #92 | 2,892 |
| 2010 | #268 | 1,226 |
| 2000 | #523 | 505 |
| 1990 | #1,116 | 157 |
| 1980 | #746 | 223 |
| 1970 | #1,001 | 125 |
| 1960 | #1,133 | 92 |
| 1950 | #1,075 | 74 |
| 1940 | #756 | 85 |
| 1930 | #3,209 | 9 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Leilani, counting every spelling?
Leilani is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #48 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #60 for Leilani on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,945 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leilani | 3,792 | #60 | 18,072 |
| Leilany | 407 | #696 | 1,936 |
| Laylani | 353 | #769 | 1,453 |
| Lailani | 227 | #1,070 | 925 |
| Leilanie | 41 | #3,683 | 197 |
| Leilanni | 35 | #4,129 | 197 |
| Laelani | 18 | #6,451 | 100 |
| Leilanny | 14 | #7,708 | 82 |
| Laylanie | 14 | #7,706 | 76 |
| Lailany | 12 | #8,632 | 50 |
| Laylanni | 6 | #14,169 | 49 |
| Lailanni | 6 | #14,147 | 34 |
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 Leilani?
3,792 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leilani (1.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Leilani 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 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Leilani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leilani?
About 55,000 people born in the US named Leilani are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 18. That makes Leilani 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.
Leilani by state
How common Leilani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (3.2×), Hawaii (3.0×), New Mexico (3.0×), Arizona (2.0×), Nevada (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Dakota, New Hampshire, Montana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leilani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leilani, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leilani · Sibling names for Leilani
Questions about the name Leilani
What does Leilani mean?
Leilani means “heavenly lei; royal child” (Hawaiian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Leilani?
Leilani was the 60th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,792 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 59th with 3,868 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Leilani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Leilani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Leilani in the US.
Where is Leilani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leilani was most common in Delaware (7.14 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and New Mexico.