| Alani | Malia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | orange tree | Calm, gentle |
| Origin | hawaiian | Hawaiian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | uh-LAH-nee | muh-LEE-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1978 | 1919 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,843) | 2009 (1,700) |
| In 2025 | 1,843 | 872 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alani | Malia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,825 | 6,533 |
| 2010s | 6,166 | 11,140 |
| 2000s | 2,377 | 8,205 |
| 1990s | 355 | 2,477 |
| 1980s | 71 | 1,442 |
| 1970s | 5 | 1,027 |
| 1960s | 0 | 449 |
| 1950s | 0 | 323 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 |
| 1910s | 0 | 5 |
From Hawaiian 'alani', meaning 'orange tree' (and the color orange), also linked to a fragrant native tree whose leaves scented cloth. A separate, unrelated name Alana (Celtic) is sometimes confused with it.
Malia is a Hawaiian form of Mary, also associated with “calm” waters.
Alani is more popular than Malia today: about 1,843 US babies were given the name Alani in 2025, compared with 872 named Malia.
Alani means orange tree (hawaiian origin), while Malia means Calm, gentle (Hawaiian origin).
In US records, Alani first appears in 1978 and Malia in 1919, so Malia has the longer recorded history.