Leilani

A Hawaiian compound of lei, the flower garland slipped over a visitor's head on arrival, and lani, heaven or sky, Leilani translates roughly to heavenly flowers or royal child. Princess Leilani was a real figure in nineteenth-century Hawaiian genealogy, and the name drifted to the mainland in the mid-twentieth century with island tourism and the popular Hawaiian Wedding Song. It has been quietly climbing for two decades, currently at 66 and given to about one in 481 girls. Four syllables that roll like surf, with a pair of bright L sounds that English speakers manage easily. The kind of name that seems to carry its own weather.