Lelani
Flower from heaven, of Hawaiian origin.
Name Census estimates that about 943 living Americans carry the first name Lelani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lelani today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lelani births was 2024 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lelani. 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
943
~ 1 in 363,472 Americans
Peak year
2024
51 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,136
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Lelani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lelani from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 273 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
Lelani 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 Lelani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lelanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Lelani, while Tennessee, Illinois, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lelani
The name Lelani is a Hawaiian name that has its origins in the Polynesian languages spoken throughout the Pacific Islands. It is derived from the combination of the Hawaiian words "lele," meaning "air" or "sky," and "lani," meaning "heaven" or "heavenly." Together, the name Lelani can be interpreted to mean "heavenly air" or "heavenly sky."
The earliest recorded use of the name Lelani dates back to the late 19th century, when it was used by native Hawaiians as a name for their children. The name gained popularity throughout the 20th century, particularly in Hawaii and other parts of the United States with significant Hawaiian and Polynesian populations.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Lelani was Lelani Kamakau, a Hawaiian princess who lived in the early 19th century. She was a member of the royal family and played an important role in preserving Hawaiian culture and traditions.
Another notable figure was Lelani Woodard, an American actress and dancer who was born in 1922 and passed away in 2005. She appeared in several films and television shows throughout her career, including the classic musical "South Pacific."
In the field of sports, Lelani Munter is a professional race car driver who has competed in various motorsports events, including the IndyCar Series and the ARCA Racing Series. She was born in 1974 and is known for her advocacy of environmental causes and veganism.
Lelani Bertelman was a Hawaiian musician and composer who lived from 1929 to 2018. She was renowned for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Hawaiian music, and her compositions were widely acclaimed.
Lelani Arce is a contemporary artist and illustrator based in Hawaii. Born in 1982, she is known for her vibrant and colorful depictions of Hawaiian culture, landscapes, and wildlife, often incorporating elements of traditional Hawaiian art and mythology.
While the name Lelani has its roots in Hawaiian culture, it has gained popularity across various cultures and communities around the world, particularly among those with an appreciation for its beautiful meaning and connection to nature and the heavens.
People
Lelani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lelani 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
Lelani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lelani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 943 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lelani 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 363,472 US residents.
Is Lelani a common name?
We classify Lelani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 973 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lelani most popular?
The single biggest year for Lelani was 2024, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lelani is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lelani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lelani 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.