How Many People Are Named Nalani?

An estimated 7,078 people in the United States have the first name Nalani. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 13 years old, and Nalani peaked in popularity in 2024 with 575 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Nalani as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Nalani paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • Nalani is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 13, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.

Estimated Living Americans

7,078

About 1 in 48,425 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

100.0% confidence

Average Age

13

years old

Peak Year

2024

575 births

Total Registered

7,194

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Nalani

Nalani is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 7,194 total births registered, 100.0% were female.

Male 0 (0.0%)
Female 7,194 (100.0%)

Nalani as a female name

Ranked #529 in 2024

575 female births in 2024

Peak: 2024 (575 births)

Nalani in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 3,764 people with the first name Nalani, which placed it at #4,800 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Nalani was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 3,764 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.5% were male and 99.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.

Census Count

3,764

people with this name

Census Rank

#4,800

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

1.25

per 100,000 people

Male 19 (0.5%)
Female 3,745 (99.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Nalani was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (32.68%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (27.67%) and Two or More Races (17.21%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Nalani in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
12.15%
Black
27.67%
Hispanic
32.68%
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.65%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.64%
Two or More Races
17.21%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Nalani.

Group Share Count
Hispanic 32.68% 1,232
Black 27.67% 1,043
Two or More Races 17.21% 649
White 12.15% 458
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.65% 326
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.64% 62

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Nalani: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Nalani span from the 1940s to the 2020s, covering 9 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 2,646 babies were registered. Nalani remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.

0 115 230 345 460 575 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Nalani by Decade

How has Nalani tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1940s 15 0 15
1950s 53 0 53
1960s 59 0 59
1970s 125 0 125
1980s 157 0 157
1990s 319 0 319
2000s 1,199 0 1,199
2010s 2,646 0 2,646
2020s 2,621 0 2,621

Nalani by State

Birth registrations for Nalani span all 36 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Florida. The lowest are in Oregon, New Mexico, Utah. On average, about 156 Nalanis were registered per state.

Nalani + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Nalani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Nalani: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Nalani?

We estimate approximately 7,078 people named Nalani are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 48,425 Americans share this first name.

Is Nalani a common name?

Nalani is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 7,194 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Nalani most popular?

Nalani reached peak popularity in 2024, when 575 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Nalani is approximately 13 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Nalani in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 3,764 people with the first name Nalani. That placed it at #4,800 in the published Census first-name tables, or 1.25 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Nalani was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Nalani?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Nalani was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.5% male and 99.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Nalani?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Nalani was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (32.68%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (27.67%) and Two or More Races (17.21%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Nalani a female name?

Nalani is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Nalani have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Nalani peaked in 2024, and the average living bearer is about 13 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Nalani Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Nalani Smith, Nalani Johnson, Nalani Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination