Kailani
Top 1000
About Kailani
Bright, melodic, and nature inspired, Kailani blends the appeal of Kaia and Leilani in terms of sounds, while in meaning, it matches the draw of Skye, Ocean, and Celeste. Derived from Hawaiian elements kai ("sea, ocean") and lani ("sky, heaven"), it debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2013, having been on the rise since the early 2000s.
Also popular in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Kailani ranked in the Top 300 in a recent year and has been joined in the charts by Portuguese and Brazilian spelling Kailany and by Kaylani (which may also be a variation of Keilani). Given to 1215 girls in a recent year, when you view the spelling variations collectively, it begins to feel like a Top 70 choice, ranking alongside Zoey, Claire, and Eden in the same year.
Traditionally used as a unisex name in Hawaii (and given to a small handful of boys in the US most years), a notable bearer is Australian figure-skater, Kailani Craine.
Pronounced kie-LA-nee.
As of October 2026, Kailani ranked #253 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #222 in 2022, Nameberry popularity #988.
Editor's take: The name Kailani is a girl's name of Hawaiian origin meaning "sea and sky".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #985 | 271 | 151.7 |
| 2015 | #878 | 317 | 177.6 |
| 2016 | #754 | 378 | 213.3 |
| 2017 | #619 | 485 | 280.9 |
| 2018 | #390 | 795 | 467.4 |
| 2019 | #350 | 903 | 538 |
| 2020 | #282 | 1,132 | 700.3 |
| 2021 | #278 | 1,138 | 693.5 |
| 2022 | #222 | 1,349 | 822.5 |
| 2023 | #225 | 1,320 | 822.6 |
| 2024 | #275 | 1,141 | 704.2 |
| 2025 | #253 | 1,215 | 755.9 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Kailani.
- Kali
- Alyx
- Amari
- Nyla
- Naya
- Neveah
- Khaleesi
- Armani
- Kalani
- Khalani
- Raya
- Zuri
- Nevaeh
- Kaya
- Kehlani
- Leilani
- Akira
- Nala
- Alani
- Jazlynn
Kailani on lists
Famous Kailanis
- Kailani Craine
Australian Figure Skater