Lelani
Meaning of Lelani
Rooted in the Hawaiian lexicon, the feminine appellation Lelani—pronounced /lɛˈlɑni/—derives from lani, signifying “heaven” or “sky,” and is commonly interpreted as “heavenly child,” thereby connoting celestial associations and gentle grace. In recent American usage, the name has maintained a consistent presence within the lower tier of the top one thousand female given names, achieving a rank of 899 in 2024 according to Social Security Administration data, an incremental advance from 914 in 2023, and reflecting steady, if modest, ascendancy. Its phonological composition—an open, stress-initial vowel followed by a liquid consonant cluster and a final unstressed syllable—affords it a fluid, mellifluous quality that resonates with Anglo-American naming conventions while preserving an aura of Polynesian origin. Within the field of onomastics, Lelani is often cited as an exemplar of cross-cultural transmission, embodying the synthesis of indigenous Hawaiian heritage and contemporary Western appellative trends.
Pronunciation
Hawaiian
- Pronunced as leh-LAH-nee (/lɛˈlɑni/)
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