Kahlani is a modern American spelling of Kehlani, a name built on the Hawaiian word lani, "heaven" or "sky", in the manner of Leilani and Kalani; the R&B singer Kehlani brought the name to a wide audience in the mid-2010s. The h in the middle softens the first syllable and gives it a distinctive look. Kahlani soared from number 5376 in 2015 into the US top 1000 in 2023, peaked at number 835 in 2024 and ranks number 875 among girls in 2025.