Hawaiian baby names
Hawaiian names are built from Hawaiian words, often with lani ("sky, heaven, royal"), as in Leilani, Kalani and Nalani, or kai ("sea"), as in Makai. Koa means "brave, warrior". Of the names we have researched, 12 are Hawaiian, given to 12,559 US babies in 2025.
Rising Hawaiian names
Biggest climbers in rank since 2020: Leylani (#1,221 to #971), Nalani (#593 to #414), Kiana (#899 to #743), Kaylani (#341 to #185), Alani (#221 to #161), Kaleo (#1,507 to #898), Koa (#582 to #269), Makai (#550 to #481).
Hawaiian girl names (8)
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leilani | heavenly lei; royal child | #60 | 3,792 |
| Alani | #161 | 1,843 | |
| Kaylani | sea and sky (variant of Kailani) | #185 | 1,675 |
| Kalani | the heavens; the chief (Hawaiian) | #387 | 800 |
| Nalani | the heavens (Hawaiian) | #414 | 754 |
| Maliyah | probably a spelling of Malia (Hawaiian 'Mary') | #626 | 467 |
| Kiana | Hawaiian form of Diana; or feminine of Kian | #743 | 366 |
| Leylani | heavenly lei; royal child (via Leilani) | #971 | 263 |
Hawaiian boy names (4)
How origins are assigned
Each name gets one origin: the language its meaning comes from, which is not always the language it reached English through. Mateo is Spanish in form but Hebrew in origin, so it is listed as Hebrew. The lists cover the roughly 2,000 most used names we have researched so far. Common meanings among Hawaiian names: sky, star, moon or sun, king or queen, water.