| Kehlani | Leilani | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the heavens / sea and sky | Heavenly flower |
| Origin | hawaiian | hawaiian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | keh-LAH-nee | lay-LAH-nee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 2015 | 1917 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,981) | 2022 (3,868) |
| In 2025 | 1,981 | 3,792 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Kehlani | Leilani |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11,283 | 20,964 |
| 2010s | 3,198 | 18,160 |
| 2000s | 0 | 9,261 |
| 1990s | 0 | 2,166 |
| 1980s | 0 | 1,654 |
| 1970s | 0 | 1,315 |
| 1960s | 0 | 1,011 |
| 1950s | 0 | 713 |
| 1940s | 0 | 810 |
| 1930s | 0 | 345 |
| 1920s | 0 | 56 |
| 1910s | 0 | 11 |
A modern Hawaiian-style name built on 'lani' (sky, heaven), often read as a blend of 'kai' (sea) and 'lani' (sky), giving 'sea and sky'. It is closely related to the traditional Hawaiian name Kalani ('the heavens') and was popularized by the singer Kehlani.
From Hawaiian 'lei' (flower, garland, lei) + 'lani' (heaven, sky, royal), giving 'heavenly flower' or more literally 'heavenly garland'. The floral element is genuine.
Leilani is more popular than Kehlani today: about 3,792 US babies were given the name Leilani in 2025, compared with 1,981 named Kehlani.
Kehlani means the heavens / sea and sky (hawaiian origin), while Leilani means Heavenly flower (hawaiian origin).
In US records, Kehlani first appears in 2015 and Leilani in 1917, so Leilani has the longer recorded history.