UK name, mostly girls
Kalani
A Hawaiian name meaning "the heavens", "the sky", or "the chief".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 54 boys.
Kalani is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kalani popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2115, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 19 births.
This profile covers 126 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2006 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 68% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 125 living people in the UK are called Kalani. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kalani ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 19 girls were registered as Kalani.
- • Kalani is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 125 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kalani as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 70.0% of Kalani registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2115
2024
Births in 2024
13
Latest year
Peak year
2019
19 births
Estimated living
125
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Kalani
In England and Wales birth records, Kalani has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 30.0% of registrations are for boys and 70.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Kalani registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (11 births)
Kalani registered for girls
- Ranked #2,115 in 2024
- 13 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (19 births)
Meaning
What does Kalani mean?
The name Kalani has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is derived from two Hawaiian words: "kala", meaning "the sun" or "the heavens", and "ani", meaning "to tread" or "to go forth". Thus, the name Kalani can be interpreted to mean "the heavenly one" or "the one who walks among the heavens".
The name Kalani has been in use in Hawaii for centuries and has been historically associated with Hawaiian royalty and nobility. It was a popular name among the ruling ali'i (chiefly) class of ancient Hawaiian society. The name can be found in Hawaiian genealogies, chants, and oral traditions dating back to the pre-contact era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalani can be found in the legend of Kalani-kapu-Daimoku, a famed Hawaiian chief who lived in the late 15th or early 16th century. He was known for his valor in battle and his leadership skills.
In more recent history, Kalani was the name of a prominent Hawaiian prince in the late 19th century. Prince Kalani-a-nao-Kumu was born in 1871 and was a member of the House of Kalakaua, the last reigning royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Another notable figure with the name Kalani was Kalani Kaua'au-pio-o-ka-lani, a Hawaiian language scholar and educator who lived from 1855 to 1932. He played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Hawaiian language and culture during a time when it was under threat.
In the world of entertainment, Kalani Ryder is a well-known American actress and model of Hawaiian descent, born in 1988. She has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the popular series "Hawaii Five-0".
Kalani Queypo is a renowned Hawaiian hula dancer and kumu hula (hula teacher) who has helped to preserve and perpetuate the ancient art of hula. She was born in 1942 and has been a prominent figure in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance.
While the name Kalani has its roots in Hawaiian culture, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world as well, particularly in areas with significant Hawaiian or Polynesian populations. However, its rich historical and cultural significance remains deeply rooted in the Hawaiian Islands.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kalani over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kalani in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kalani, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kalani by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kalani was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2148 | 65 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2898 | 55 | 5 |
| 2000s | #5131 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Kalani
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kalani: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kalani in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kalani was ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.
When was Kalani most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 19 babies registered as Kalani in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kalani?
A Hawaiian name meaning "the heavens", "the sky", or "the chief".
How many people are called Kalani in the UK?
A total of 126 babies have been registered as Kalani across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.