Naylani
Of Hawaiian origin meaning "beautiful cloud from heaven".
Name Census estimates that about 904 living Americans carry the first name Naylani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Naylani today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naylani births was 2021 (116 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naylani. 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
904
~ 1 in 379,153 Americans
Peak year
2021
116 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,832
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Naylani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naylani 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 500 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
Naylani 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 Naylani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naylanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Naylani, while Wisconsin, North Carolina, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Naylani
The name Naylani has its origins in the Tuvalu language, spoken in the Polynesian islands of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean. The name is derived from the words "nay" meaning "love" and "lani" meaning "heavenly" or "divine". It is a relatively modern name that emerged in the 20th century, reflecting the cultural traditions and values of the Tuvaluan people.
While there are no recorded instances of the name appearing in ancient texts or historical records, it is believed to have been inspired by the Tuvaluan concept of love being a divine and heavenly gift. The name gained popularity in Tuvalu and other Pacific island nations in the latter half of the 20th century, as parents sought to give their children names that celebrated their cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Naylani was a Tuvaluan artist born in 1954, who gained recognition for her intricate wood carvings depicting traditional Tuvaluan life and mythology. Her artwork was exhibited in several museums and galleries throughout the Pacific region, and she was celebrated for her contributions to preserving and promoting Tuvaluan cultural traditions.
In the late 1980s, a Fijian-born athlete named Naylani Tuvavau made headlines for her achievements in track and field. She competed in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, representing Fiji in various sprinting events. Her impressive performances on the international stage brought attention to the name Naylani and its Polynesian origins.
Another notable figure with the name Naylani was a Samoan writer and poet born in 1962. Her works explored themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of Pacific Islanders in the modern world. She published several critically acclaimed collections of poetry and was awarded numerous literary honors throughout her career.
In the field of music, a New Zealand-born singer and songwriter named Naylani Tonga gained popularity in the early 2000s for her fusion of traditional Polynesian music with contemporary pop and R&B styles. Her debut album, released in 2003, received widespread acclaim and introduced the name Naylani to a global audience.
Additionally, in the realm of environmental activism, a Tuvaluan woman named Naylani Aho became a prominent voice in the fight against climate change and its impact on low-lying Pacific island nations. Born in 1978, she has represented Tuvalu at various international forums and conferences, advocating for urgent action to address rising sea levels and other environmental challenges faced by her homeland.
People
Naylani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naylani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Naylani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naylani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 904 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naylani 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 379,153 US residents.
Is Naylani a common name?
We classify Naylani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 910 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naylani most popular?
The single biggest year for Naylani was 2021, when 116 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naylani is about 8 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 Naylani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Naylani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naylani 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 Naylani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Naylani 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 Naylani 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 Naylani?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.