Lanai
A Hawaiian name referring to the island of Lanai.
Name Census estimates that about 526 living Americans carry the first name Lanai. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lanai today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lanai births was 2008 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lanai. 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
526
~ 1 in 651,624 Americans
Peak year
2008
26 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,697
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Lanai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lanai from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 177 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Lanai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lanai 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 Lanai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lanais live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lanai
The given name Lanai is derived from the Hawaiian language and is closely associated with the island of the same name in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is believed to have originated during the ancient Polynesian settlement of the Hawaiian Islands, which began around the 5th century AD.
Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and has been inhabited for centuries by Native Hawaiians. The name Lanai is thought to be a contraction of the word "lana'i," which means "day of conquest" or "acquisition day" in the Hawaiian language. This suggests that the name may have been given to commemorate a significant event or victory in the island's history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lanai can be found in the Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant that dates back to the 18th century. The chant mentions the island of Lanai and its significance in Hawaiian mythology and folklore.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Lanai. One of the earliest was Lanai Kahekili, a high chief who ruled over the island of Lanai in the late 18th century. He was known for his leadership and military prowess during the turbulent period of Hawaiian history.
Another prominent figure was Lanai Kalakaua, a Hawaiian princess who lived in the 19th century. She was a member of the Hawaiian royal family and played an influential role in preserving Hawaiian culture and traditions.
In more modern times, Lanai Platt was a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer who lived from 1898 to 1974. He was celebrated for his contributions to the revival of traditional Hawaiian music and his efforts to preserve the island's musical heritage.
Lanai Akana, born in 1924, was a prominent Hawaiian educator and advocate for Native Hawaiian rights. She played a crucial role in establishing Hawaiian language immersion programs and promoting the preservation of Hawaiian culture.
Another notable figure was Lanai Tabura, a Hawaiian activist and community leader who lived from 1940 to 2018. She dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of Native Hawaiians and their land and cultural preservation efforts.
These individuals, among others, have carried the name Lanai throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in Hawaiian culture and the significance it holds within the island community.
People
Lanai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lanai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lanai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lanai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 526 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lanai 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 651,624 US residents.
Is Lanai a common name?
We classify Lanai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 540 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lanai most popular?
The single biggest year for Lanai was 2008, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lanai is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lanai a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lanai 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.