Fun Facts About the Name Kaylani
- More than 11 thousand babies named Kaylani: U.S. records list 11,868 babies given the name Kaylani from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kaylani Mean?
Kaylani is an American spelling of the Hawaiian name Kailani. In Hawaiian, kai means "sea" and lani means "sky," "heaven," or "royal" (the word is also used of chiefs). Read literally, the two elements give "sea and sky"; a looser, customary rendering is "heavenly sea."
The same lani element appears in other Hawaiian names, such as Leilani and Kalani ("the heavens" or "the royal one"). The English Kay- spelling in Kaylani is a respelling of the sound of Hawaiian kai for English readers; it is not a separate word with its own meaning.
Kaylani Name History & Origins
Hawaiian personal names are commonly built from a small set of meaningful elements, and lani is one of the most frequent. Kailani belongs to that tradition, combining kai with lani. The spelling Kaylani represents a later, English-language layer of use: it is best understood as Kailani respelled to match how English speakers hear and read the name.
Kaylani circulates in the United States alongside a cluster of similar-sounding names that include Kailani, Kalani, Keilani, Leilani, and Kayla. Its resemblance to Kayla is coincidental rather than etymological, since the two names come from different sources; the shared -lani ending, by contrast, does link Kaylani to the Hawaiian names.
How Popular is the Name Kaylani?
Kaylani recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #185 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #185 | 1,675 | 0.1042% |
| 2024 | #241 | 1,299 | 0.0805% |
| 2023 | #246 | 1,249 | 0.0779% |
| 2022 | #252 | 1,221 | 0.0745% |
| 2021 | #281 | 1,126 | 0.0687% |
| 2020 | #340 | 912 | 0.0565% |
| 2019 | #410 | 762 | 0.0454% |
| 2018 | #485 | 648 | 0.0381% |
| 2017 | #675 | 435 | 0.0252% |
| 2016 | #760 | 375 | 0.0212% |
| 2015 | #1,053 | 250 | 0.0140% |
| 2014 | #1,195 | 204 | 0.0114% |
| 2013 | #1,376 | 170 | 0.0097% |
| 2012 | #1,336 | 176 | 0.0100% |
| 2011 | #1,268 | 188 | 0.0107% |
| 2010 | #1,433 | 160 | 0.0090% |
| 2009 | #1,541 | 147 | 0.0080% |
| 2008 | #1,466 | 161 | 0.0085% |
| 2007 | #1,741 | 125 | 0.0065% |
| 2006 | #1,948 | 103 | 0.0054% |
| 2005 | #2,113 | 88 | 0.0048% |
| 2004 | #2,726 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 2003 | #2,753 | 57 | 0.0031% |
| 2002 | #2,917 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 2001 | #3,225 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2000 | #4,029 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1999 | #5,536 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #5,471 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1997 | #8,042 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #5,651 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #7,786 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #9,196 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #12,574 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #12,501 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #5,087 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #8,834 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #7,204 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #8,021 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #10,492 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kaylani Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Kaylani's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kaylani's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.