Ailani
Meaning
traditionally interpreted as 'high chief', from Hawaiian ali'i (chief) and lani (sky/heaven)
The story
Ailani is Hawaiian, traditionally read as high chief, from ali'i, the chief, and lani, the sky, and it belongs to the -lani family that Leilani anchors: about 56,500 Americans carry the anchor name, the heavenly flowers and skies of a whole island register. Ailani is the family's fast one: about 30 in the 1990s, 750 in the 2000s, 2,000 in the 2010s, and already 5,100 so far this decade, two and a half times the full 2010s with years to run. It goes to girls almost without exception, about 7,900 to six. The -lani names travel the same route Koa runs, island-rooted and continent-bound. A chief in the front half, the sky in the back: Ailani gives a daughter rank and altitude in four syllables.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Ailani peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
28 people · the #99,072 first name in Brazil · median age 24
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Ailani
Most people given the name Ailani in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Ailani deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Ailani truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Ailani fits with your family’s names and surname.
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