Meaning and history
Leilani is a Hawaiian name meaning “heavenly flowers” or “royal child,” from lei, meaning “flowers,” “lei,” or “child,” and lani, meaning “heaven,” “sky,” “royal,” or “majesty.” It became known outside Hawaii through Bing Crosby’s 1937 song “Sweet Leilani,” featured in the film Waikiki Wedding.
20062006: 1,067 births, rank #310
2007: 1,188 births, rank #286
2008: 1,231 births, rank #276
2009: 1,243 births, rank #265
2010: 1,226 births, rank #267
20112011: 1,304 births, rank #244
2012: 1,415 births, rank #224
2013: 1,391 births, rank #231
2014: 1,540 births, rank #218
2015: 1,807 births, rank #177
20162016: 1,971 births, rank #159
2017: 2,284 births, rank #129
2018: 2,519 births, rank #120
2019: 2,703 births, rank #107
2020: 2,892 births, rank #92
20212021: 3,485 births, rank #68
2022: 3,868 births, rank #59
2023: 3,562 births, rank #61
2024: 3,365 births, rank #66
20252025: 3,792 births, rank #60
Leilani has risen sharply in the modern US rankings, moving from #523 in 2000 to #60 in 2025. It now stands at #60 for girls. Its highest annual birth count came in 2022, with 3,868 births.