Maelani
Maelani was the 1553rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 136 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,681 places. More babies were named Maelani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Meilani) modern coinage; 'heavenly May' (suggested) · American English, Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #1,553 girls, up 1,877 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 136girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025136 babies
- Total since 1880
- 812babies recorded
What does the name Maelani mean?
Maelani is a spelling of Meilani, pronounced the same way, so it shares Meilani's meaning and origin.
Meilani is a modern American name made to rhyme with Leilani. Wiktionary notes that it can be read as Hawaiian Mei 'May' (the month) plus lani 'sky, heaven, heavenly', giving something like 'heavenly May', but that is an interpretation of a coined name rather than a traditional Hawaiian name with a recorded meaning. Name sites often give other meanings built from Chinese mei 'beautiful'; we found no documentation for those. It first appears in US records in the 1980s.
lani (Hawaiian, “sky, heaven; heavenly”)Mei (Hawaiian, “May (month)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A modern coinage; the Hawaiian reading is an after-the-fact interpretation.
Other explanations you may read: From Chinese mei 'beautiful' + Hawaiian lani 'heaven'.
Related names: Leilani, Mylani.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Meilani', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'lani' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Maelani popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,553 | 136 |
| 2020 | #3,430 | 45 |
| 2010 | #18,777 | 5 |
| 2000 | #8,934 | 11 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maelani, counting every spelling?
Maelani is a spelling of Meilani, a name family that ranked #379 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,553 for Maelani on its own. Together these spellings went to 873 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meilani | 498 | #591 | 1,670 |
| Maelani | 136 | #1,553 | 526 |
| Maylani | 96 | #2,000 | 417 |
| Mailani | 85 | #2,185 | 346 |
| Meilany | 24 | #5,346 | 47 |
| Maylanie | 6 | #14,333 | 38 |
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 Maelani?
136 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maelani (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maelani 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 62 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maelani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maelani?
About 800 people born in the US named Maelani are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 2 and 8. That makes Maelani 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.
Maelani by state
How common Maelani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (1.6×). In 37 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maelani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maelani, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Maelani
What does Maelani mean?
Maelani is a spelling of Meilani, usually explained as “modern coinage; 'heavenly May' (suggested)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Maelani?
Maelani was the 1553rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 136 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,681 places. More babies were named Maelani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Maelani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maelani in the US.
Where is Maelani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maelani was most common in Connecticut (0.10 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Indiana.