Kailani
Girl name · #253 in 2025 · Uniqueness 47/100
In 2025, 1,215 baby girls were named Kailani, placing it at #253 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #877, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,481 girls born in 2025 was named Kailani.
Babies named Kailani per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 45-year story
Kailani first appears in the Social Security records in 1980, when 8 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 1,350 babies and a rank of #222. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kailani against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kailani in class?
Kailani scores 47 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Kailani is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kailani is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Kailanis were TX (193), CA (153), FL (100), NY (50), NC (45). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Kailani
Statistically, parents drawn to Kailani tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kaylani, Kalani, Kehlani, Milani, and Keilani.
KaylaniKalaniKehlaniMilaniKeilaniMalaniKhalaniKahlani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kailani | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,215 | #253 |
| 2024 | 1,144 | #276 |
| 2023 | 1,320 | #226 |
| 2022 | 1,350 | #222 |
| 2021 | 1,139 | #278 |
| 2020 | 1,133 | #282 |
| 2019 | 903 | #350 |
| 2018 | 795 | #390 |
| 2017 | 486 | #617 |
| 2016 | 379 | #751 |
| 2015 | 317 | #877 |
| 2014 | 271 | #984 |
| 2013 | 261 | #964 |
| 2012 | 250 | #1011 |
| 2011 | 218 | #1123 |
| 2010 | 187 | #1274 |
| 2009 | 165 | #1420 |
| 2008 | 179 | #1354 |
| 2007 | 152 | #1517 |
| 2006 | 144 | #1522 |
| 2005 | 123 | #1631 |
| 2004 | 128 | #1546 |
| 2003 | 86 | #2062 |
| 2002 | 64 | #2467 |
| 2001 | 53 | #2766 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kailani a popular girl name?
Kailani ranked #253 among girls in 2025 with 1,215 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #877.
When was the name Kailani most popular?
Kailani peaked in 2022, when 1,350 American girls received the name (ranked #222 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Kailani?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,481 newborn American girls was named Kailani. It scores 47/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.