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Hawaiian Girl Names That Mean God

Hawaiian girl names that mean God often lean on lani, the word for heaven, turning a single root into a whole family of divine and celestial names.

Names30
OriginHawaiian
MeaningGod
GenderGirl

Look closely at this list and one syllable keeps showing up: lani, Hawaiian for heaven or sky. It anchors Keilani's 'heavenly sea,' Naylani's 'the heavens,' and Khalani's 'the divine one,' each pairing that root with a slightly different companion sound.

A few names on this page show how far that meaning travels once it leaves Hawai'i. Laniyah fuses lani with the Hebrew -yah for God, while Anela is simply the Hawaiian word for angel — a 'messenger of God.' Even Makiah echoes Micah, 'who is like God,' in a softer, coined form.

Why Hawaiian Girl Names That Mean God Share the Same Roots

Hawaiian naming tradition builds names by combining short root words rather than borrowing whole words from mythology, which is why so many of these celestial, godly names sound like siblings. Kiana and Kyana are the same divine root spelled two ways, while Elani layers Hebrew, Greek, and Hawaiian light-and-heaven meanings into one compact, modern-sounding name.

The Sea, the Sky, and the Moon: How the Meaning Shifts

Not every name here points straight at the sky. Mahina means the moon, honoring Hawai'i's moon goddess rather than a sky god directly, and Keonna and Jahlani are newer coined names that borrow the warm, lyrical sound of these older words without a fixed etymology of their own. Together they show a parent doesn't need a strict definition to feel the meaning.

Names List

Keilani#727 in the U.S.Hawaiian name from kai (sea, ocean water) and lani (sky, heaven, heavenly, royal chief), meaning 'heavenlPronounced kay-LAH-nee▶Kiana#743 in the U.S.Multiple possible origins: a Hawaiian form meaning 'divine' or from the Persian Kiana meaning 'of royal hPronounced kee-AH-nah▶Elani#844 in the U.S.A modern name drawing on multiple roots: the Hebrew el (God) combined with a nature suffix; the Greek ElePronounced eh-LAH-nee▶Naylani#897 in the U.S.Variant of Hawaiian Nailani, composed of na (the, of) and lani (heaven, sky, royalty, divine chief); meanPronounced nay-LAH-nee▶Khalani#904 in the U.S.Variant of Hawaiian Kalani, composed of ka (the) and lani (heaven, sky, royalty, divine chief); meaning tPronounced kah-LAH-nee▶Laniyah#2392 in the U.S.heavenly one of GodPronounced lah-NY-uh▶Anela#3012 in the U.S.Hawaiian form of Angela, meaning 'angel' or 'messenger of God'; also a Czech/Slovak diminutive of Anna mePronounced ah-NEL-ah▶Jahlani#3088 in the U.S.Modern coined name possibly combining Jah (short form of Yahweh/Jehovah) with lani (Hawaiian: heaven, skyPronounced jah-LAH-nee▶Mahina#3672 in the U.S.Moon, moonlight; from Hawaiian mahina, also the name of the moon goddessPronounced mah-HEE-nah▶Makiah#4961 in the U.S.Modern coinage echoing Makai ('toward the sea', Hawaiian) and Micah ('who is like God', Hebrew); here forPronounced mə-KY-ah▶Keonna#5073 in the U.S.Modern coinage echoing Keona/Keanna ('God's gracious gift', a Hawaiian-flavored name) and the -onna endinPronounced kee-ON-ah▶Kyana#5511 in the U.S.-y- spelling of Kiana — Hawaiian, 'divine', or Persian, 'the moon; royal'; also a modern blend; routes laPronounced ky-AH-nah▶Keona#5866 in the U.S.From Hawaiian, 'God's gracious gift; the abundance of the world' (a feminine form of Keoni, the Hawaiian Pronounced kee-OH-nah▶Keanna#6030 in the U.S.A spelling of Kiana — variously a feminine of Keane ('ancient; sharp'), the Hawaiian Kiana (a form of DiaPronounced kee-AH-nah▶Keyana#6778 in the U.S.A spelling of Kiana — variously a Hawaiian form of Diana ('divine'), a Persian-linked 'a fountain; the woPronounced kee-AH-nah▶Kiannah#7069 in the U.S.A spelling of Kiana — variously a Hawaiian form of Diana ('divine; a moon goddess') and a feminine of thePronounced kee-AH-nah▶Keoni#7396 in the U.S.The Hawaiian form of John — from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'; more often a boys' name; here for giPronounced keh-OH-nee▶Kaliani#7441 in the U.S.Kaliani reads most naturally as a form of the Sanskrit Kalyani, from kalyana, 'beautiful, auspicious, gooPronounced kah-lee-AH-nee▶Olina#7841 in the U.S.From Hawaiian, 'joyous; happy; filled with joy'; also a Czech short form of Olga ('holy; blessed'); routePronounced oh-LEE-nah▶Kiyanna#8175 in the U.S.An elaboration of Kiana — variously a Hawaiian form of Diana ('divine; the moon') and a modern Ki+Anna blPronounced kee-AH-nah▶Nanea#8263 in the U.S.From the Hawaiian nanea, 'fascinating; engaging; relaxed; pleasantly absorbed' (also the name of a goddesPronounced nah-NEH-ah▶Lilinoe#9272 in the U.S.From the Hawaiian lilinoe, 'a fine mist' — also Lilinoe, a mist goddess associated with Mauna Kea; we notPronounced lee-lee-NOH-eh▶Keiana#9868 in the U.S.A modern name, a spelling of Kiana — variously the Hawaiian form of Diana ('divine') and a Ke- + Ana blenPronounced kee-AH-nah▶Gialani#12570 in the U.S.A modern coinage joining Gia (a short form of Gianna, 'God is gracious') with -lani (Hawaiian 'sky, heavePronounced jee-uh-LAH-nee▶Kieanna#14505 in the U.S.Kieanna is a fuller spelling of Kiana, often given as a Hawaiian form of Diana, the Roman goddess of the Pronounced kee-AH-nuh▶Maui#14596 in the U.S.A place name — the Hawaiian island of Maui — and, in Polynesian tradition across Hawaii, Aotearoa and beyPronounced MOW-ee▶Keyanni#16449 in the U.S.A modern coinage echoing Kiana/Keyana (a Hawaiian form of Diana, and read as 'moon; divine'). By that echPronounced kee-AH-nee▶Pele#17388 in the U.S.From the Hawaiian Pele, 'lava; molten' (she who shapes the sacred land); the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoePronounced PEH-leh▶LakaFrom the Hawaiian Laka, of layered meaning (variously 'gentle; tame; attracted to'); the Hawaiian goddessPronounced LAH-kah▶NamakaFrom the Hawaiian Namaka (Namakaokahai), 'the eyes (of the sea)' (na maka, 'the eyes'); the Hawaiian sea-Pronounced nah-MAH-kah▶

More Hawaiian Meaning Guides

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Frequently Asked

What does Keilani mean?

Keilani means 'heavenly sea' in Hawaiian, combining the popular kai (sea) sound with lani (heaven or sky) — a name that's currently rising in the US rankings.

Why do so many Hawaiian names use lani for heaven?

Lani is one of Hawaiian's most common naming elements, so it appears again and again in combination with other roots — as in Khalani ('the divine one') and Naylani ('the heavens') — rather than being reserved for one name alone.

Is Anela a Hawaiian name?

Yes — Anela is the Hawaiian word for angel, used as a given name meaning 'messenger of God.' It's also used as a Czech diminutive of Anna, giving it a gentle cross-cultural double life.