Keylani is a modern American spelling of Kehlani and Kailani, Hawaiian-inspired names built from kai, "sea", and lani, "heaven" or "sky". The singer Kehlani, who broke through in 2015, set off the wave of K-lani names, and this spelling with an e-y follows the look of Kaylee and Keyla. Keylani was unrecorded in 2000 and ranked number 11402 in 2015, but has risen to number 1376 in 2025, its highest rank yet.