Cahlani
A feminine name of Native American origin meaning "fruitful land".
Name Census estimates that about 92 living Americans carry the first name Cahlani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cahlani today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cahlani births was 2020 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cahlani. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cahlani. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
92
~ 1 in 3,725,591 Americans
Peak year
2020
14 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,636
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Cahlani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cahlani from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 68 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cahlani by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cahlani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cahlani
The given name Cahlani is believed to have originated in the Hawaiian language, with its roots dating back to the ancient Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Islands. The name itself is a combination of two Hawaiian words: "cah," meaning "the" or "the one," and "lani," which translates to "heaven" or "sky." Thus, Cahlani can be interpreted as "the heavenly one" or "the one from the sky."
In Hawaiian tradition, names often carried deep spiritual and cultural significance, reflecting the connection between the individual and the natural world. The inclusion of "lani" in this name suggests a reverence for the celestial realm and a belief in the divine nature of the heavens. Historically, such names were bestowed upon children with the hope of imbuing them with the qualities associated with the name's meaning.
While the exact origins of the name Cahlani are shrouded in the mists of time, its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the ancient Hawaiian oral traditions and chants. These oral histories, passed down through generations, often served as a means of preserving cultural knowledge and genealogies.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Cahlani. One such individual was Cahlani Kalakaua, a high chieftain and influential leader in the Hawaiian Islands during the late 18th century. He played a pivotal role in the unification of the islands and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Another notable Cahlani was Cahlani Kekuaokalani, a revered kahuna (priest) and healer who lived in the early 19th century. Her expertise in traditional Hawaiian medicine and spiritual practices earned her widespread respect and admiration among her people.
In the realm of arts and culture, Cahlani Liliuokalani, who reigned as the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1891 to 1893, was a prolific songwriter and composer. Her works, deeply rooted in Hawaiian tradition, helped preserve and promote the cultural heritage of her people.
Moving forward in time, Cahlani Kealoha was a prominent Hawaiian activist and educator in the early 20th century. She dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and preservation of Native Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions.
Lastly, Cahlani Kamehameha, born in 1943, is a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer. His compositions have been instrumental in reviving and popularizing traditional Hawaiian music, ensuring its continued relevance and appreciation in modern times.
While these historical figures hailed from different eras and backgrounds, they all shared the common thread of bearing the name Cahlani, a name that evokes the celestial realms and the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian people.
People
Cahlani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cahlani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cahlani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cahlani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 92 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cahlani going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,725,591 US residents.
Is Cahlani a common name?
We classify Cahlani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 93 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cahlani most popular?
The single biggest year for Cahlani was 2020, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cahlani is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cahlani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cahlani in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.