Kaylani

How to say it

/kaɪˈlɑ.ni/

What it means

Hawaiian respelling of Kalani, from ka ('the') + lani ('sky, heaven, royal'), with a phonetic Y. Often glossed as 'heavenly' or 'royal one.' Part of the broader Hawaiian-name wave (Alani, Kalani, Kehlani, Leilani).

Kaylani is a phonetic American respelling of the Hawaiian Kalani, from ka ('the') + lani ('sky, heaven, royal'), often glossed as 'heavenly' or 'royal one' in the Hawaiian tradition (where lani names like Kalanikūpule and Kalanikūiapinaʻu were associated with the ruling class). The Y respelling is American and modern. As a US given name Kaylani surged in the 2010s with the broader Hawaiian-name wave. It entered the US top 500 in 2017. Common short: Lani or Kay.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Kalani (traditional Hawaiian) and Kaylani (the American phonetic respelling) are the same name; Kaylani reads as more modern American.

Spelling variants

• Kalani
• Kalanie
• Kaylanie

Names with the same feeling

• Kalani The heavens, the sky
• Alani Orange tree, or 'precious'
• Kehlani Sea and sky
• Leilani Heavenly flowers, royal child
• Ailani High chief, exalted leader

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