Jelani
Girl name · #2593 in 2025 · Uniqueness 53/100
Jelani is currently the #2593 girl name in the United States — 67 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #7266, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 26,866 girls born in 2025 was named Jelani.
Babies named Jelani per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 50-year story
Jelani first appears in the Social Security records in 1975, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 88 babies and a rank of #2150. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jelani against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jelani in class?
Jelani scores 53 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Jelani is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jelani is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Jelanis were GA (8), FL (7), NY (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Jelani
Statistically, parents drawn to Jelani tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jaelani, Jahlani, Mylani, Ulani, and Jailani.
JaelaniJahlaniMylaniUlaniJailaniCalaniTalaniMulani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jelani | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 | #2583 |
| 2024 | 88 | #2150 |
| 2023 | 87 | #2176 |
| 2022 | 84 | #2228 |
| 2021 | 52 | #3112 |
| 2020 | 41 | #3607 |
| 2019 | 40 | #3718 |
| 2018 | 30 | #4562 |
| 2017 | 34 | #4220 |
| 2016 | 23 | #5622 |
| 2015 | 16 | #7266 |
| 2014 | 10 | #10129 |
| 2013 | 10 | #10235 |
| 2012 | 13 | #8632 |
| 2011 | 13 | #8614 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11246 |
| 2009 | 14 | #8454 |
| 2008 | 13 | #8965 |
| 2007 | 13 | #9007 |
| 2006 | 13 | #8715 |
| 2005 | 14 | #7891 |
| 2004 | 12 | #8716 |
| 2003 | 25 | #4943 |
| 2002 | 15 | #7045 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6619 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jelani a popular girl name?
Jelani ranked #2593 among girls in 2025 with 67 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #7266.
When was the name Jelani most popular?
Jelani peaked in 2024, when 88 American girls received the name (ranked #2150 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Jelani?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 26,866 newborn American girls was named Jelani. It scores 53/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.