Girl · #8,811 in 2026

Lanai

Name: Popularity of the name Lanai in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Lanai, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Lānaʻi, sometimes written Lanai, is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island in the chain. It is colloquially known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The island's only settlement of note is the small town of Lānaʻi City.

Current Rank

#8,811

Peak Rank

#5,206 (2008)

Total Babies

561

5-Yr Trend

-15%

1960

First Year

2026

Last Year

2008

Peak Year

#5206

Peak Rank

561

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lanai

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Lāna ʻ i has been under the control of nearby Maui since before recorded history. Its first inhabitants may have arrived as late as the 15th century. The Hawaiian-language name Lānaʻi is of uncertain origin, but the island has historically been called Lānaʻi o Kauluāʻau , which can be rendered in English as "day of the conquest of Kauluā ʻ au". This epithet refers to a legend about a Mauian prince who was banished to Lāna ʻ i because of his wild pranks at his father's court in Lāhainā. The island was said to be haunted by Akua-ino, ghosts and goblins that Kauluā ʻ au chased away, bringing peac

The Story of Lanai

Lanai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1960, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 26 Lanais were born — ranking #5,434 that year. As of 2026, Lanai ranks #8,811 for baby girls with 10 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 561 Lanais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Lanai

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lanai 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 Lanai

What does the name Lanai mean?

How popular is Lanai in 2026?

In 2026, Lanai ranks #8,811 among girls' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.

When was Lanai most popular?

Lanai reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking #5,206 that year with 26 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Lanai most popular?

Lanai has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lanai.

Is Lanai a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Lanai is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Lanai?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lanai include Mahaley, Haidee, Lanay. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Lanai

Lanai is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1960 and has accumulated 561 births in the dataset. Lanai's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #5,206. Use the chart and map above to compare Lanai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.