Kylani
A Hawaiian feminine name meaning "beautiful laurel blossom".
Name Census estimates that about 581 living Americans carry the first name Kylani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kylani today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kylani births was 2024 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kylani. 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
581
~ 1 in 589,939 Americans
Peak year
2024
106 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,883
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Kylani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kylani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 351 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
Kylani 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 Kylani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kylanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Florida, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Kylani, while Ohio, New York, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kylani
The name Kylani is believed to have its origins in the Hawaiian language, where it is a combination of the words "ky" meaning "sea" and "lani" meaning "heaven" or "sky." This suggests that the name Kylani may have been used to refer to the vast expanse of the ocean or the beauty of the sky over the Hawaiian Islands.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kylani dates back to the late 18th century, when European explorers and missionaries began documenting the Hawaiian language and culture. However, it is possible that the name was in use among the indigenous Hawaiian people long before this time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Kylani was a Hawaiian chieftain who lived in the late 18th century. Unfortunately, historical records from this time period are scarce, and little is known about this individual's life or accomplishments.
In the 19th century, a woman named Kylani Kalani was a prominent figure in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, advocating for the rights and traditions of the Hawaiian people. She was born in 1842 and lived until 1920, playing a significant role in preserving Hawaiian culture during a time of rapid change and colonization.
Another notable individual with the name Kylani was a Hawaiian poet and composer named Kylani Kealoha, who lived from 1875 to 1952. She is remembered for her contributions to the preservation of traditional Hawaiian music and her efforts to pass these traditions on to future generations.
In the early 20th century, a Hawaiian woman named Kylani Kalehua gained recognition as a skilled practitioner of traditional Hawaiian healing practices. She was born in 1902 and lived until 1988, sharing her knowledge of traditional medicine and helping to keep these practices alive.
More recently, in the late 20th century, a Hawaiian artist named Kylani Kahale gained recognition for her vibrant paintings depicting the natural beauty and cultural traditions of the Hawaiian Islands. She was born in 1960 and continues to create and exhibit her work today.
While the name Kylani may have originated in the Hawaiian language and culture, it has since been adopted by people around the world, with varying spellings and pronunciations. However, its connection to the Hawaiian Islands and the beauty of the ocean and sky remains a central part of its meaning and significance.
People
Kylani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kylani 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
Kylani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kylani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 581 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kylani 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 589,939 US residents.
Is Kylani a common name?
We classify Kylani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 585 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kylani most popular?
The single biggest year for Kylani was 2024, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kylani is about 7 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 Kylani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kylani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kylani 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 Kylani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kylani 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 Kylani 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 many people are called Kylani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.