Jalani is a modern American name that combines the Ja- opening of names like Jalen and Janiya with the -lani ending of Hawaiian names such as Leilani and Kehlani, in which lani means "heaven" or "sky". It is related in sound to Jelani, a boys' name often explained as Swahili for "mighty". In the United States Jalani has risen from number 3877 in 2015 to number 1068 in 2025, its best rank so far.