Kalani
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Kalani
Kalani is a rhythmic name that can be used for either gender though it is predominantly used on girls in the US. With its celestial meaning, and cool K beginning, it only entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015. Now in the Top 400, it joins Kai and Leilani as popular choices with Hawaiian origins.
Kalani for girls#387 US
Less popular than the similar Kehlani, Kailani, and Kaylani, Kalani is nevertheless used nearly five times more often than it was a decade ago.
Dancer now turned dance teacher Kalani Hilliker likely popularised this spelling when she starred on the reality series Dance Moms between 2014 and 2017. In fact, the acceleration of the name up the charts coincides with her first appearance on the spin off series Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition in 2013.
Kalani for boys#4792 US
This name is one of the hot new spiritual names for both sexes. In Hawaiian it means "chieftain of the sky" or "spirit of the sky,"and is extremely popular for boys.
Pronounced kuh-LAH-nee.
As of October 2026, Kalani ranked #387 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #339 in 2024.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,072 | 239 | #2,165 | 63 |
| 2015 | #839 | 334 | #2,314 | 57 |
| 2016 | #678 | 433 | #1,909 | 77 |
| 2017 | #544 | 568 | #2,300 | 57 |
| 2018 | #585 | 526 | #2,822 | 43 |
| 2019 | #469 | 668 | #3,127 | 38 |
| 2020 | #397 | 784 | #2,819 | 43 |
| 2021 | #339 | 959 | #2,839 | 44 |
| 2022 | #374 | 843 | #3,246 | 37 |
| 2023 | #380 | 813 | #3,506 | 33 |
| 2024 | #339 | 917 | #3,292 | 36 |
| 2025 | #387 | 800 | #4,792 | 21 |
World rankings
Kalani for girls
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Famous Kalanis
- Kalani Brooke HillikerGirl
dancer on "Dance Moms" and "Abby's Ultimate Dance Compition"
- Kalani RobbBoy
professional surfer and actor from Hawaii