Nalani

Nalani meaning

Nalani is an international girl's name of Hawaiian origin.

The heavens; the royal chiefs

Also used to mean: calm skies

Nalani is a Hawaiian name made of nā, "the" (used before plurals), and lani. Pukui and Elbert's Hawaiian Dictionary gives lani as the sky or heavens, and also a very high chief or royal person; its own example of the article is nā lani, "the chiefs". Place Names of Hawaiʻi, by Pukui, Elbert and Mookini, records Nalani as a street name in Honolulu meaning literally "the heavens" or "royal chiefs". Some name lists say "calm skies", reading nā in its other sense, "calmed" or "quieted"; the dictionary has that sense but does not give it for this name. It is said nah-LAH-nee.

Source: Pukui, Elbert & Mookini, Place Names of Hawaiʻi (1974), via Wehewehe · entry Nalani · See the entry · checked 27 Oct 2026

References: Place Names of Hawaiʻi, Nalani (Wehewehe) · Pukui & Elbert, lani (Wehewehe) · Pukui & Elbert, nā (Wehewehe)

Popularity abroad

• #414 United States, girls 2025 (up 117 from 531 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Related names

Also meaning sky

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