Girl name · Hawaiian
Ailani
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or AylínAilani is a girl's name that comes from Hawaiian and means "possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín". It is used in English and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín
- Origin
- Hawaiian
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #168 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ailani
As a girl's name, Ailani comes from Hawaiian and means "possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín". It is used in English and Spanish.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Ailani?
- US rank in 2025
- #168
- 1,807 babies, 1,124 per million girls
- Best rank
- #168 in 2025
- 1,807 babies that year
- Babies since 1996
- At least 7,899
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 2 per million |
| 2000s | 40 per million |
| 2010s | 117 per million |
| 2020s | 522 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #915 | #952 | #759 | #685 | #542 | #532 | #467 | #591 | #327 | #168 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Ailani
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- AlaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻalani, orange tree or fruit (Hawaiian, girl)
- AolaniHeavenly cloud (Hawaiian, girl)
- AylaniVariant of Ailani, possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani (Hawaiian, girl)
- AitanaFrom a place name, a mountain range in Valencia (Spanish, girl)
- AlanaFeminine form of Alan, possibly little rock (Breton, girl)
- AmaniPeace, harmony (Swahili, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- EdenPossibly delight, pleasure (Hebrew, unisex)
- JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- OwenAnglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius (Welsh, boy)
- AzielPossibly God comforts (Hebrew, boy)
- BeckettFrom a surname, possibly from beak or stream (Middle English, boy)
- BriannaVariant of Briana, feminine of Brian, possibly high or power (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- ConallFrom cú, hound or wolf, and fal, rule (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CyrusPossibly young, or humiliator of the enemy (Persian, boy)
- DuraiChief, leader (Tamil, boy)
Middle names for Ailani
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Hawaiian
- KaiThe sea (Hawaiian, unisex)
- LeilaniHeavenly flowers; royal child (Hawaiian, girl)
- AlohaLove, affection (Hawaiian, unisex)
- AlohilaniBright sky (Hawaiian, girl)
- ĀnuenueA rainbow (Hawaiian, girl)
- HaukeaWhite snow (Hawaiian, girl)
- HaunaniBeautiful dew or snow (Hawaiian, girl)
- HiʻileiHeld lovingly in the arms (Hawaiian, girl)
- HōkūA star (Hawaiian, unisex)
- HōkūlaniHeavenly star (Hawaiian, girl)
- ʻIlimaGolden native flower (Hawaiian, girl)
- ʻIolaniRoyal hawk (Hawaiian, unisex)
- ʻIwalaniHeavenly frigatebird (Hawaiian, girl)
- IolanaTo soar, to fly high (Hawaiian, girl)
- KahiauGiving generously (Hawaiian, unisex)
- KaʻiulaniThe royal sacred one (Hawaiian, girl)
- KailaniSea and sky (Hawaiian, girl)
- KaimanaA diamond (Hawaiian, unisex)
Ailani: common questions
What does the name Ailani mean?
Ailani comes from Hawaiian and means "possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Ailani a boy or girl name?
Ailani is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ailani come from?
Ailani comes from Hawaiian and means "possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín". Today it is used in English and Spanish.
How popular is the name Ailani?
Ailani ranked #168 in the US in 2025, with 1,807 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ailani?
Names spelled like Ailani include Ailany, Alani, Aolani, Aylani and Aitana.
What middle names go with Ailani?
Middle names that flow well with Ailani include Eliza, Ione, Lark, Lucy and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.