Delani is a modern spelling of Delaney, an Irish surname from Ó Dubhshláine that is usually explained as "dark challenger" or "descendant of the dark one from the Slaney". The -ani ending gives it a Hawaiian lilt in the company of Leilani and Kehlani. Delani has never entered the US top 1000, but it has climbed from number 3400 in 2015 to number 1371 in 2024 and ranks 1469 in 2025.