Sekani is of uncertain origin and is usually explained as "laughter", a meaning attributed to Bantu languages of Malawi; it is also the name of a First Nations people in British Columbia. The name reached American parents through Angie Thomas's novel The Hate U Give and its 2018 film version, in which Sekani is the heroine's little brother. It leapt from obscurity into the top 1000 at number 874 in 2019, slipped out again after 2020 and ranks 1187 in 2025.