Pualani
Hawaiian name meaning "flower from the heavens" or "heavenly flower".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Pualani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pualani today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pualani births was 1978 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pualani. 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
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
1978
9 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2023 SSA rank
#17,030
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Pualani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pualani from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 28 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pualani 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 Pualani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pualanis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pualani
The name Pualani has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is a combination of two words: "pua" meaning flower or blossom, and "lani" meaning heaven or heavenly. The name can be translated to mean "heavenly flower" or "flower of heaven."
In Hawaiian tradition, names often have a deep connection to nature and the environment. The name Pualani reflects the importance of flora and the beauty of the natural world in Hawaiian culture. It is a name that evokes images of vibrant, fragrant flowers blooming under the warm, tropical sun.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Pualani can be traced back to the late 18th century, during the time of the Hawaiian monarchy. However, it is likely that the name existed and was in use long before written records were kept.
One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Pualani was Princess Pualani, who lived in the late 18th century. She was a member of the Hawaiian royal family and played a significant role in the preservation of Hawaiian culture and traditions.
Another historically significant Pualani was Pualani Kanae, born in 1846. She was a Hawaiian chiefess and landowner who played a pivotal role in the preservation of Hawaiian land rights during the tumultuous period of the Hawaiian Kingdom's transition to a constitutional monarchy.
In the 20th century, Pualani Brown, born in 1912, was a prominent Hawaiian educator and advocate for Native Hawaiian rights. She dedicated her life to preserving and promoting Hawaiian language, culture, and traditions.
Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele, born in 1942, is a renowned Hawaiian cultural practitioner, hula master, and composer. She has been instrumental in the revitalization and perpetuation of Hawaiian cultural practices, including hula, chant, and storytelling.
Another notable Pualani is Pualani Everett, born in 1939, who is a respected Hawaiian artist and educator. Her artwork often depicts traditional Hawaiian motifs and themes, celebrating the beauty and richness of Hawaiian culture.
While the name Pualani may have evolved over time, it has remained a beloved and cherished name in Hawaiian culture, representing the enduring connection between the people and the natural world that surrounds them.
People
Pualani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pualani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pualani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pualani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pualani 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Pualani a common name?
We classify Pualani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pualani most popular?
The single biggest year for Pualani was 1978, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pualani is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pualani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pualani 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.