Kalani as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kalani

What is the meaning of the name Kalani ?

The baby name Kalani is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced kah-LAH-nee (Hawaiian: /kaˈlani/).

Kalani is Hawaiian in Origin.

Kalani is a Hawaiian given name from ka + lani, literally “the heaven/sky,” with lani also signifying “royal, exalted, chief.” The element lani traces to Proto-Polynesian *langi, cognate with Samoan lagi and Tongan langi “sky.” As a name, Kalani therefore carries meanings such as “the heavens,” “heavenly one,” or “of high rank.”

The term lani features prominently in the names of aliʻi (high chiefs), appearing in royal compounds like Kalaniʻōpuʻu and Kalanikūpule, which helped cement its prestige. In modern use Kalani is unisex, common in Hawaiʻi and increasingly familiar elsewhere in the United States since the 2000s, aided by surfers and entertainers bearing the name. Short form Lani is widespread; related compounds include Kailani (“sea and sky”) and Kealani (“clear heaven”). Contemporary respellings Keilani and Kehlani also occur in English-language contexts.