Kehlani

How to say it

/kɛˈlɑ.ni/

What it means

Hawaiian compound (often glossed as 'sea and sky' or 'the heavens') from ke ('the') + lani ('sky, heaven') with a phonetic 'h.' Kehlani the American R&B singer (born 1995) is overwhelmingly the dominant cultural anchor.

Kehlani is a Hawaiian-style name often glossed as 'sea and sky' or 'the heavens' (ke 'the' + lani 'sky, heaven,' with a phonetic 'h'). Kehlani Ashley Parrish (born 1995), the American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, is overwhelmingly the dominant cultural anchor; she gained recognition after America's Got Talent (2011) and her 2016 debut album SweetSexySavage. As a US given name Kehlani is post-2015 and climbing fast. It entered the US top 500 in 2018. Common short: Lani or Keh.

Heads-up notes

• Pop culture

  Kehlani the singer (SweetSexySavage 2016) is the dominant cultural anchor; the naming wave is essentially downstream of her career.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Kehlani American R&B singer-songwriter, SweetSexySavage (2016)

Spelling variants

• Kelani
• Kelanie

Names with the same feeling

• Kalani The heavens, the sky
• Alani Orange tree, or 'precious'
• Kaylani Heavenly, royal
• Leilani Heavenly flowers, royal child
• Kaia Pure, or 'sea'

See Kehlani from another angle