| Mahina | Alani | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon | orange tree |
| Origin | hawaiian | hawaiian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | mah-HEE-nah | uh-LAH-nee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1978 |
| Peak year | 2022 (53) | 2025 (1,843) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,843 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Mahina | Alani |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 247 | 9,825 |
| 2010s | 227 | 6,166 |
| 2000s | 128 | 2,377 |
| 1990s | 69 | 355 |
| 1980s | 11 | 71 |
| 1970s | 5 | 5 |
Mahina is the Hawaiian word for 'moon, month, moonlight,' from Proto-Polynesian masina, and is linked to the goddess Hina. The lunar meaning is well documented in Hawaiian dictionaries.
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.
Alani is more popular than Mahina today: about 1,843 US babies were given the name Alani in 2025, compared with 0 named Mahina.
Mahina means Moon (hawaiian origin), while Alani means orange tree (hawaiian origin).
In US records, Mahina first appears in 0 and Alani in 1978, so Mahina has the longer recorded history.