At a glance
- In short
- Kaylani is a girls' name with Hawaiian roots, often said to mean sea and sky.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #185 of girl names
- Babies in 2025
- 1,675 (0.095% of girls)
- Trend
- Rising #340 in 2020 to #185 in 2025
- Peak
- #185 in 2025
- Top state
- #85 in Nevada
- First recorded
- 1987
Meaning of Kaylani
Kaylani is a girls' name with Hawaiian roots, though its exact origin is uncertain. It is often explained as a blend of the Hawaiian words kai, meaning "sea," and lani, meaning "sky" or "heaven," giving "sea and sky." Others treat it as an American elaboration of the Hawaiian name Kalani, "the heavens."
In American English it is pronounced kay-LAH-nee, while a Hawaiian pronunciation is closer to kah-yah-LAH-nee. The name has no single famous namesake, and its appeal comes mainly from its sound and its connection to Hawaii.
Kaylani has risen sharply in the United States in recent years. In 2015 it ranked 1,054th. By 2025 it had climbed to 185th, with 1,675 babies given the name, its highest rank and largest yearly count to date.
How to pronounce Kaylani
English
- Pronounced kay-LAH-nee /keɪˈlɑni/
Hawaiian
- Pronounced kah-yah-LAH-nee /kaː.jaː.ˈlaː.niː/
Popularity of Kaylani in the U.S.
Kaylani was the #185 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,675 babies. It has been in the top 1,000 since 2016. It first appears in the records in 1987.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1987–2025 39 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,675 | 185 | ▲ 54 |
| 2024 | 1,305 | 239 | ▲ 7 |
| 2023 | 1,250 | 246 | ▲ 6 |
| 2022 | 1,222 | 252 | ▲ 29 |
| 2021 | 1,126 | 281 | ▲ 59 |
| 2020 | 912 | 340 | ▲ 70 |
| 2019 | 763 | 410 | ▲ 75 |
| 2018 | 648 | 485 | ▲ 189 |
| 2017 | 435 | 674 | ▲ 86 |
| 2016 | 375 | 760 | ▲ 294 |
| 2015 | 250 | 1,054 | ▲ 141 |
| 2014 | 204 | 1,195 | ▲ 176 |
| 2013 | 170 | 1,371 | ▼ 37 |
| 2012 | 176 | 1,334 | ▼ 68 |
| 2011 | 188 | 1,266 | ▲ 165 |
| 2010 | 160 | 1,431 | ▲ 107 |
| 2009 | 147 | 1,538 | ▼ 77 |
| 2008 | 161 | 1,461 | ▲ 273 |
| 2007 | 125 | 1,734 | ▲ 205 |
| 2006 | 103 | 1,939 | ▲ 167 |
| 2005 | 88 | 2,106 | ▲ 605 |
| 2004 | 60 | 2,711 | ▲ 26 |
| 2003 | 57 | 2,737 | ▲ 151 |
| 2002 | 51 | 2,888 | ▲ 310 |
| 2001 | 43 | 3,198 | ▲ 785 |
| 2000 | 31 | 3,983 | ▲ 1,441 |
| 1999 | 19 | 5,424 | ▼ 61 |
| 1998 | 19 | 5,363 | ▲ 2,379 |
| 1997 | 11 | 7,742 | ▼ 2,211 |
| 1996 | 17 | 5,531 | ▲ 1,983 |
| 1995 | 11 | 7,514 | ▲ 1,290 |
| 1994 | 9 | 8,804 | ▲ 2,976 |
| 1993 | 6 | 11,780 | ▼ 42 |
| 1992 | 6 | 11,738 | ▼ 6,734 |
| 1991 | 19 | 5,004 | ▲ 3,497 |
| 1990 | 9 | 8,501 | ▼ 1,546 |
| 1989 | 11 | 6,955 | ▲ 736 |
| 1988 | 9 | 7,691 | ▲ 2,134 |
| 1987 | 6 | 9,825 | new |
Kaylani by state
Kaylani ranks #85 in Nevada (2025).
Rank by state 39 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 85 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 91 | 9 |
| Delaware | 98 | 8 |
| Mississippi | 107 | 21 |
| North Carolina | 110 | 89 |
| New Mexico | 111 | 12 |
| Florida | 113 | 150 |
| South Carolina | 120 | 36 |
| Arizona | 130 | 48 |
| Georgia | 132 | 75 |
| Texas | 140 | 226 |
| California | 146 | 207 |
| District of Columbia | 150 | 5 |
| New York | 152 | 106 |
| New Jersey | 163 | 49 |
| Louisiana | 170 | 24 |
| Connecticut | 175 | 18 |
| Illinois | 179 | 55 |
| Massachusetts | 190 | 29 |
| Wisconsin | 195 | 28 |
| Virginia | 200 | 41 |
| Kansas | 201 | 16 |
| Tennessee | 204 | 38 |
| Washington | 220 | 33 |
| Alabama | 221 | 21 |
| Maryland | 225 | 23 |
| Oklahoma | 225 | 17 |
| Indiana | 234 | 30 |
| Arkansas | 250 | 12 |
| Michigan | 253 | 36 |
| Pennsylvania | 259 | 42 |
| Kentucky | 275 | 16 |
| Idaho | 277 | 8 |
| Colorado | 288 | 21 |
| Oregon | 298 | 12 |
| Ohio | 316 | 35 |
| Minnesota | 377 | 14 |
| Missouri | 386 | 15 |
| Utah | 490 | 8 |
| Iowa | 565 | 5 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 138 | 9 |