Kailoni
A feminine Hawaiian name meaning "majestic and divine child".
Name Census estimates that about 218 living Americans carry the first name Kailoni. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kailoni today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kailoni births was 2020 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kailoni. 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
218
~ 1 in 1,572,268 Americans
Peak year
2020
22 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,055
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Kailoni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kailoni from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 93 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
Kailoni 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 Kailoni 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 Kailoni
The name Kailoni is believed to have originated from the ancient Polynesian language of Hawaiian. It is thought to have derived from the Hawaiian words "Ka'i" meaning sea and "loni" meaning to beckon or call forth, suggesting a connection to the ocean or maritime pursuits.
In Hawaiian culture, names were often chosen to reflect the natural environment, spiritual beliefs, or significant events surrounding a child's birth. The name Kailoni may have been given to children born near the sea or during times when the ocean played a significant role in the community's life.
While there are no recorded instances of the name Kailoni appearing in ancient Hawaiian texts or religious scriptures, some historical records suggest its use dates back several centuries. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Kailoni Kalani, a skilled navigator and fisherman who lived in the late 16th century on the island of Molokai.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kailoni. In the 18th century, Kailoni Kekuaokalani was a respected kahuna (priest) and healer on the island of Kauai. Another individual, Kailoni Kamakau, was a renowned historian and author in the 19th century, credited with preserving much of Hawaii's oral traditions and historical accounts.
In the early 20th century, Kailoni Puali'i was a prominent composer and musician who helped revive traditional Hawaiian music and dance. More recently, Kailoni Kuhio was a celebrated hula dancer and teacher who dedicated her life to preserving and promoting the art form throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Another notable figure was Kailoni Makana, a skilled canoe carver and navigator who played a crucial role in reviving traditional Polynesian voyaging techniques in the late 20th century. His knowledge and expertise were instrumental in the successful voyages of the double-hulled canoe Hokule'a, which helped reignite interest in traditional Polynesian seafaring and navigation.
People
Kailoni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kailoni as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kailoni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kailoni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 218 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kailoni 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 1,572,268 US residents.
Is Kailoni a common name?
We classify Kailoni as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 220 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kailoni most popular?
The single biggest year for Kailoni was 2020, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kailoni is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kailoni in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kailoni a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kailoni 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.
Is Kailoni still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kailoni in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kailoni can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Kailoni?
Find out how many people share the name Kailoni on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.