Ilani
A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "from heaven".
Name Census estimates that about 640 living Americans carry the first name Ilani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ilani today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ilani births was 2024 (93 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ilani. 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.
People living today
640
~ 1 in 535,554 Americans
Peak year
2024
93 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,070
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Ilani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ilani from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 302 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
Ilani 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 Ilani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ilanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Ilani, while Virginia, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ilani
The name Ilani is believed to have originated from the Hawaiian language, where it means "heaven" or "heavenly." This name traces its roots back to the ancient Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Islands, particularly in Hawaii.
The name Ilani is often associated with the Hawaiian goddess of the same name, who was revered as the goddess of the moon and fertility. In Hawaiian mythology, Ilani played a significant role in the creation stories and was considered a powerful deity.
While the name Ilani has its roots in the Hawaiian language, it has also been adopted and used in other cultures and languages over time. For instance, in some African cultures, the name Ilani is believed to have a similar meaning, referring to the heavens or the celestial realm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ilani can be found in the Hawaiian oral traditions and chants that were passed down through generations. These ancient stories and songs often mentioned the goddess Ilani and her role in the Hawaiian pantheon.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ilani:
1. Ilani Kama (1924-2015), a Hawaiian hula dancer and cultural practitioner who played a significant role in preserving and promoting traditional Hawaiian dance and customs.
2. Ilani Alaū (born 1951), a Hawaiian musician and composer known for her contributions to the Hawaiian Renaissance movement and her efforts in reviving traditional Hawaiian music.
3. Ilani Byrd (born 1986), an American professional basketball player who competed in the WNBA and overseas leagues.
4. Ilani Nihi (born 1989), a New Zealand rugby union player who represented the Black Ferns, the national women's rugby team.
5. Ilani Greenstein (born 1986), an Israeli entrepreneur and co-founder of the mobile gaming company Playtika.
These individuals, from different backgrounds and fields, have carried the name Ilani and contributed to their respective areas of expertise, further adding to the cultural significance and recognition of this name.
People
Ilani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ilani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ilani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ilani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 640 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ilani 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 535,554 US residents.
Is Ilani a common name?
We classify Ilani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 645 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ilani most popular?
The single biggest year for Ilani was 2024, when 93 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ilani is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ilani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ilani 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.