Girl · #1,859 in 2026

Lani

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

Current Rank

#1,859

Peak Rank

#875 (1979)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+26%

1917

First Year

2026

Last Year

1979

Peak Year

#875

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Lani

Lani first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 143 Lanis were born — ranking #995 that year. As of 2026, Lani ranks #1,859 for baby girls with 108 births, rising sharply (+26% over the past five years). In total, more than 7K Lanis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Lani

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lani 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 Lani

What does the name Lani mean?

Lani is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1917. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Lani in 2026?

In 2026, Lani ranks #1,859 among girls' names in the U.S., with 108 babies given the name that year.

When was Lani most popular?

Lani reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #875 that year with 143 babies given the name.

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

Lani has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Utah, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lani.

Is Lani a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Lani?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lani include Pearlene, Maralyn, Miya. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Lani

Lani is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Lani's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #875. Use the chart and map above to compare Lani'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.