girl's name
Leilani
lay-LAH-nee
- Origin Hawaiian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 58,220
the United States
#60
2025 births
Leilani is a girl's name of Hawaiian origin meaning "heavenly flowers" or "royal child," from lei, a garland or wreath of flowers, and lani, meaning sky, heaven, or royalty. It is one of the genuinely traditional Hawaiian names in wide American use.
- Leilani is a name of Hawaiian origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 3,868 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 874 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1917.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Leilani over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 56 |
| 1930s | 345 |
| 1940s | 810 |
| 1950s | 713 |
| 1960s | 1,011 |
| 1970s | 1,315 |
| 1980s | 1,654 |
| 1990s | 2,166 |
| 2000s | 9,280 |
| 2010s | 18,166 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 20,964 |
What Leilani means
Leilani combines lei, the flower garland central to Hawaiian custom, with lani, meaning sky or heaven and by extension royalty. Both readings — heavenly garland and royal child — follow from the same two words, since lani carries both senses in Hawaiian.
Where Leilani comes from
Leilani is built from two well-attested Hawaiian words. A lei is a garland, most familiarly of flowers but also of leaves, shells or feathers, and giving one is a formal gesture of welcome, affection or honor. Lani means sky or heaven, and in Hawaiian usage extends to royalty — chiefs were spoken of in heavenly terms, which is why so many Hawaiian names glossed as royal are literally heavenly. Leilani is therefore a genuine traditional name rather than a modern formation from Hawaiian-sounding parts, which distinguishes it from much of the -lani family now common in United States birth records.
Leilani in use
In Hawaiian, lani links sky and royalty in one word, which is why names built from it are translated both ways.
How popular is Leilani?
In 2025, Leilani was given to 3,792 babies in the United States, ranking #60 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Leilani is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Leilani is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Leïlani | Leïlani is a rare spelling of Leilani, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 55 times, mostly in France. | 55 |
Names that peaked alongside Leilani
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Leilani also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Leilani over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Leilani
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Leilani in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Leilani
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Leilani — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Leilani
What does the name Leilani mean?
Leilani means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child," from the Hawaiian lei, a garland, and lani, sky or heaven.
Is Leilani a traditional Hawaiian name?
Yes. Unlike many modern -lani coinages, Leilani is built from two well-attested Hawaiian words and is genuinely traditional.
Why is Leilani translated both as flowers and as royal?
Because lani means sky or heaven and extends to royalty in Hawaiian, so both readings come from the same word.
How popular is the name Leilani?
In 2025, Leilani was given to 3,792 babies in the United States, ranking #60 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Leilani a girl's or a boy's name?
Leilani is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Leilani?
Leilani has 3 syllables.
When was Leilani most popular?
Leilani peaked in 2022, when 3,868 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Leilani?
Leilani is usually shortened to Lei, Lani and Leila.
Is Leilani a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Leilani currently ranks #60 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.