Alani
Alani is a name with multiple, unrelated origins from different cultures. It is a Hawaiian name meaning orange. It might be considered a modern English variant of the names Alan or Alanna. The popularity of the name coincides with the popularity of other names of Hawaiian origin such as Leilani or modern, created names using the fashionable suffix -lani, which means sky or heaven in Hawaiian.
Meaning & Origin of Alani
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Alani is a name with multiple, unrelated origins from different cultures. It is a Hawaiian name meaning orange. It might be considered a modern English variant of the names Alan or Alanna. The popularity of the name coincides with the popularity of other names of Hawaiian origin such as Leilani or modern, created names using the fashionable suffix -lani, which means sky or heaven in Hawaiian.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Alani
Alani first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1978, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 1,804 Alanis were born — ranking #169 that year. As of 2026, Alani ranks #169 for baby girls with 1,804 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 21K Alanis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Alani
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ipoola Alani Akinrinade (born 1939), a retired Nigerian Army military leader
- Alani Bankole (born 1941), Nigerian Egba businessman and chieftain from Ogun State.
- Alani Fua (born 1992), former American football linebacker
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Alani
Phonetically similar names — useful when Alani is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Alani
What does the name Alani mean?
How popular is Alani in 2026?
When was Alani most popular?
In which U.S. states is Alani most popular?
Is Alani a unisex name?
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About the name Alani
Alani is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Alani's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #169. Use the chart and map above to compare Alani's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.