Jelani
Girl name · #2593 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Jelani? In official American birth records, Jelani has been tracked continuously since 1975, giving it 50 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jelani is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Jelani will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jelani is most common
State-level data for Jelani is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Jelani?
In official American birth records, the name Jelani first appeared in 1975 (over 50 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 50 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.