Total births
7,373
Girls' name · since 1917
Lani
Lani has 7,373 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1979 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1902
- among girls today
- 7,373
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lani is the #1902 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 7,373 recorded since 1917.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lani has been recorded 7,373 times among girls since 1917, currently ranked #1902 nationally and more common than 89% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #1902 among girls today
- 7,373 born since 1917
- 2000s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lani is currently the #1902 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 7,373 born since 1917, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1902
- among girls today
- 7,373
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Lani vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1902
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Lani was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
143 babies were named Lani in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Lani compares
7,373 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lani's all-time total is 19x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lani | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,373 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 143 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lani's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lani's SSA record in two at 1980 and the more recent half accounts for 55% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 45%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1979 peak of 143, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lani at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#1,902
Active since
1917
Lani popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 143
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Lani popularity over time - boys
183 total births recorded since 1939 (Lani as boys' name)
Lani by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Lani's strongest decade.
1,144 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Lani births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 31
1930s
31 births
- 1940s
1940s
596 births
- 1950s
1950s
894 births
- 1960s
1960s
887 births
- 1970s
1970s
911 births
- 1980s
1980s
838 births
- 1990s
1990s
691 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,144 births
- 2010s
2010s
762 births
- 2020s
2020s
604 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,144 births (16% of all-time use).
How Lani compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lani's total volume
Lani vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lani by state
Where Lani concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,556 | 21.1% |
| #2 | Hawaii | | 437 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 388 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 212 | 2.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 182 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 118 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 83 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 71 | 1.0% |
California share of Lani's total US births 21.1%
Even split
1,556 of 7,373 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Lani appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lani? ▼
7,373 babies have been named Lani since 1917. It currently ranks #1902 among girls. The peak year was 1979 with 143 births.
When was Lani most popular? ▼
Lani was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,144 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Lani most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lani are California (1,556 births), Hawaii (437 births), Texas (388 births).
How long has the name Lani been used? ▼
Records for Lani go back to 1917, giving 109 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lani? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lana, Laney, Landry, Lanie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lani's data
- Lani's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,144 total births) through the 2020s (604) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Lanis (1,556 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lani
Nearby Names Like Lani
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lani
Lana Girl
#374 57,434 births
Laney Girl
#689 14,024 births
Landry Girl
#1192 5,842 births
Lanie Girl
#1825 5,602 births
Lanette Girl
#12247 5,005 births
Compare Lani side by side: Lani vs Lana Lani vs Laney Lani vs Landry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lani
Moira #1901
7,941 births · Peak 1963
Star #1903
8,275 births · Peak 1997
Cosette #1900
3,080 births · Peak 2015
Marin #1904
6,096 births · Peak 2007
Luana #1899
4,893 births · Peak 1947
Karlie #1905
11,486 births · Peak 2004
Ofelia #1898
8,992 births · Peak 1929
Natalya #1906
7,171 births · Peak 2009
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lani: #1902 Girls' Name - 7,373 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lani. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lani draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.