How popular is the baby name Emalani in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Emalani.

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Popularity of the baby name Emalani


Posts that mention the name Emalani

Baby name needed: Girl name for Lilia’s little sister

I heard from a reader named Shana a couple of days ago. Here’s what she says:

I’m 35 weeks pregnant and my DH and I still can’t find a name. Maybe it’s because we would like to incorporate too much into the name or maybe we’re just unsure if we want a trendy name/classic name. I think we are trying to find both in one name, yet can’t.

Our DD is named Lilia Josephine. We both love that it takes a name that is recognizable such as “Lily” and puts a spin on it, so that she will indeed be the only “Lilia” in her class even if their are other girls named “Lily”.

[…]

The name must contain Anne/a in either the fn or mn. Also, she will be born and living in Hawaii the first 2 years of her life. We would love to incorporate that into the mix somehow (hence, Isla).

On their list right now is:

Abriana
Abrielle
Annelise
Gabriella
Gabrielle
Isla
Layla
Leora
Norah
Sierra

I really like Norah, Annelise, Isla and Gabrielle/a. I think any of them would sound good with Lilia. I especially like the first three because they bring something more than style to the table. Annelise has the Anne connection, Isla has the Hawaii connection, and Norah has a distinct set of letters/sounds.

I’m not too keen on the other five names, though. Sierra, Abriana and Abrielle don’t seem right to me in terms of style. They remind me of modern-trendy names like Alexis and Brianna, whereas Lilia reminds of old fashioned-trendy names like Isabella and Olivia. Layla and Leora worry me because they’re so similar to Lilia–same first letter, same last letter, same length. I think it would be wiser to choose a name with at least a different first initial.

Suggestions (inspired by Hawaii)

I love the idea of Isla symbolizing Hawaii. Other names that might work are the names of historical Hawaiian royals. Here are some that I like with Lilia:

  • Analea (The good news is that it could satisfy the Anne/a requirement. The bad news is that it could be mispronounced “anally.” Might be best as a middle name.)
  • Emalani/Emmalani (The second spelling was no doubt influenced by Emma, as Hawaiian words aren’t typically spelled with double consonants.)
  • Eva
  • Miriam
  • Theresa
  • Victoria (Multiple royals had this name.)

I didn’t include Lydia because, as with Layla and Leora, I think it’s uncomfortably close to Lilia.

Suggestions (based on style)

I tried to come up with names that remind me of Lilia (old fashioned with a twist), that aren’t too laden with L- and I-sounds, and that have some sort of connection to Anne/a.

  • Anastasia – not related to Anna, but looks & sounds like it could be.
  • Annetta – Italian diminutive of Anna, though it also sounds like an altered form of Annette.
  • Bryony – a little like Abriana.
  • Dorothea, Dorothy
  • Georgia, Georgina
  • Hannah – early form of Anna.
  • Iona – refers to an island in Scotland. (And might be derived from the Old Norse word for island.)
  • Irena
  • Junia – could be seen as a spin on June, though it’s a legit name in its own right.
  • Lisanne – same elements as Annelise, but reordered.
  • Nanette – French diminutive of Anne.
  • Rosa, Rosalia
  • Sophia, Sophie, maybe Sophronia
  • Vivian, Viviana

Combinations

Considering only names on the shortlist, I like the pairings Isla Annelise and Norah Annelise. (Though I wish the A-sounds at the end of Isla and Norah didn’t blend with the A of Annalise.)

Of all the names above, let’s see…I might go for Hannah Victoria, Annetta Theresa and Junia Analea.

Now it’s your turn: Of the names above, which are your favorites for the sister of Lilia Josephine? What other names would you add to the mix? What first/middle combinations would you suggest to Shana?