Nailani
Nailani was the 1577th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 134 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7,759 places. More babies were named Nailani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Naylani) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #1,577 girls, up 3,044 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 134girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025134 babies
- Total since 1880
- 500babies recorded
What does the name Nailani mean?
Nailani is a spelling of Naylani, pronounced the same way, so it shares Naylani's meaning and origin.
Naylani has no documented origin in the dictionaries and name references we checked. It looks like a recent American name modelled on Hawaiian names ending in -lani, such as Leilani, where Hawaiian lani means 'sky, heaven' and also 'royal, exalted'. Naylani itself is not recorded as a Hawaiian name, however, and Hawaiian spelling has no letter y, so a Hawaiian meaning should not be assumed. It appears in US birth records only from the early 2000s.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented origin; the resemblance to Leilani and other -lani names is not evidence of a Hawaiian meaning.
Related names: Leilani, Leylani, Nalani.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leilani' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'lani' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Lorrin Andrews, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language, rev. H. H. Parker (1922), s.v. 'introduction, 'The Hawaiian alphabet'', Board of Commissioners of Public Archives, Honolulu (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
Nailani popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,577 | 134 |
| 2020 | #4,621 | 29 |
| 2010 | #11,007 | 10 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nailani, counting every spelling?
Nailani is a spelling of Naylani, a name family that ranked #519 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,577 for Nailani on its own. Together these spellings went to 585 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naylani | 296 | #897 | 723 |
| Nailani | 134 | #1,577 | 319 |
| Naelani | 38 | #3,881 | 158 |
| Neilani | 38 | #3,885 | 134 |
| Nailany | 51 | #3,155 | 57 |
| Neilany | 9 | #10,678 | 31 |
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 Nailani?
134 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nailani (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nailani 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 63 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nailani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nailani?
About 500 people born in the US named Nailani are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 1 and 8. That makes Nailani 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.
Nailani by state
How common Nailani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 41 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 Nailani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nailani, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Nailani
How popular is the name Nailani?
Nailani was the 1577th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 134 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7,759 places. More babies were named Nailani in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Nailani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nailani in the US.
Where is Nailani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nailani was most common in Florida (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and Tennessee.