Alternatives to Leilani

An intruiging and rare Hawaiian "-lani" name to add to the books if you are looking for an alternative to trendy Leilani and Kehlani.

Varuni is a Hindu goddess and the consort of Varuna, the Hindu God of the water, making this one of the many mythological names with water meanings. Varuni, also known as Varunani, emerged from the ocean and is known as the personification of amrita (the nectar of immortality). She is also known as the "agent of transcendent wisdom".

The name of one of the antagonists in the 1998 Lion King sequel Simba's Pride. The character was originally named Shetani, which means "devil" in Swahili, but this name was later combined with Swahili vita "war" to create the portmanteau name Vitani.

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter of Jimmy Fallon.

Typically a masculine Zulu name, Xolani is more popular among baby girls in the US, influenced by the feminine -lani ending featured in many popular Hawaiian names.

This phonetic spelling variation of Iolani could is bang on trend with Leilani, Meilani, and the like, yet was given to fewer than 10 baby girls during the last year on record.