Kalani
Kalani is a unisex name of Hawaiian origin meaning “the heavens, the sky, chief.” It ranked #387 in the United States in 2025. Kalani means 'the heavens' or 'the sky' in Hawaiian, and was also used as a royal title meaning 'chief' or 'majesty.
how do you pronounce Kalani?
kah-LAH-nee
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Kalani mean?
The name Kalani means “the heavens, the sky, chief.” It comes from the Hawaiian language tradition.
Kalani means 'the heavens' or 'the sky' in Hawaiian, and was also used as a royal title meaning 'chief' or 'majesty.' King Kalākaua and Queen Liliuokalani, the last rulers of the Hawaiian Kingdom, bore this element in their names. It is used for both boys and girls.
where does the name Kalani come from?
Wiktionary breaks Kalani down as the plus heavens or sky, translating it as the heavens, sky, royal one, or chief, and notes it also serves as a short form for many compound names beginning with Kalani-.
the history of Kalani
The only other source is a Wikipedia list of notable people named Kalani that gives no further content, so the retrieved material doesn't confirm the specific royal-family associations, such as King Kalākaua or Queen Liliuokalani, cited elsewhere.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #387 |
| 2024 | #339 |
| 2023 | #380 |
| 2022 | #375 |
| 2021 | #339 |
| 2020 | #397 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Kalani?
Nicknames
who are famous people named Kalani?
- Kalani Hilliker (American dancer)
- Kalani David (Hawaiian-Costa Rican surfer)
what names are similar to Kalani?
what names go well with Kalani?
Sibling names that share Kalani's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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