| Mahina | Kailani | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon | Sea and sky |
| Origin | hawaiian | hawaiian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | mah-HEE-nah | ky-LAH-nee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1980 |
| Peak year | 2022 (53) | 2022 (1,350) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,215 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Mahina | Kailani |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 247 | 7,301 |
| 2010s | 227 | 4,067 |
| 2000s | 128 | 1,147 |
| 1990s | 69 | 204 |
| 1980s | 11 | 59 |
| 1970s | 5 | 0 |
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.
A Hawaiian compound of 'kai' (sea) and 'lani' (sky, heaven), commonly rendered 'sea and sky' or 'heavenly sea'.
Kailani is more popular than Mahina today: about 1,215 US babies were given the name Kailani in 2025, compared with 0 named Mahina.
Mahina means Moon (hawaiian origin), while Kailani means Sea and sky (hawaiian origin).
In US records, Mahina first appears in 0 and Kailani in 1980, so Mahina has the longer recorded history.