Neilani
A feminine Hawaiian name meaning "beautiful victor" or "victorious beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 254 living Americans carry the first name Neilani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neilani today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neilani births was 2024 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neilani. 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
254
~ 1 in 1,349,427 Americans
Peak year
2024
34 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,252
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Neilani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neilani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 119 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
Neilani 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 Neilani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Neilanis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Neilani
Neilani is a Hawaiian given name with roots dating back to the ancient Polynesian cultures of the South Pacific. It is a compound word derived from the Hawaiian words "nei" meaning "here" or "this" and "lani" meaning "heaven" or "sky." Together, the name can be interpreted to mean "heavenly one" or "from this heaven."
The Hawaiian language is part of the Austronesian language family, which originated in Taiwan and spread throughout the Pacific Islands over thousands of years as a result of the voyages and migrations of Polynesian seafarers. The name Neilani reflects the deep connection between the Hawaiian people and the natural world around them, particularly the celestial elements.
While the name Neilani is not prominently featured in ancient Hawaiian chants or historical records, it has been in use among the Hawaiian population for centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the mid-19th century, when a woman named Neilani Kealoha was born in the Hawaiian Islands around 1845.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Neilani. One of the most famous was Neilani Hipa (1900-1976), a renowned Hawaiian hula dancer and teacher who was instrumental in preserving and promoting the traditional hula arts. Another was Neilani Arista (1946-2015), a Hawaiian activist and educator who played a significant role in the Hawaiian Renaissance movement of the 1970s.
Other notable individuals with the name Neilani include Neilani Roberson (born 1983), an American professional basketball player who competed in the WNBA, and Neilani Kila (born 1965), a Hawaiian singer and songwriter known for her contributions to the contemporary Hawaiian music scene.
Neilani Puterbaugh (1923-2007) was a Native Hawaiian artist and educator who played a pivotal role in reviving traditional Hawaiian arts and crafts, particularly in the areas of weaving and kapa (barkcloth) making.
While the name Neilani has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture, it has gained popularity and recognition worldwide, particularly among those with an appreciation for the beauty and rich heritage of the Hawaiian Islands.
People
Neilani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neilani 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
Neilani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neilani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 254 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neilani 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 1,349,427 US residents.
Is Neilani a common name?
We classify Neilani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 256 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neilani most popular?
The single biggest year for Neilani was 2024, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neilani is about 9 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 Neilani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neilani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neilani 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 Neilani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neilani 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 Neilani 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 have the name Neilani?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.