Jelani
Girl name · #2593 in 2025 · Very rare
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: 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?
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
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: 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.