Nelani
Girl name · #5083 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 26 baby girls were named Nelani, placing it at #5083 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #10148, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 69,231 girls born in 2025 was named Nelani.
Babies named Nelani per year. Source: SSA.
The 16-year story
Nelani first appears in the Social Security records in 2009, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2020, when 27 girls were named Nelani — good for #4757 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Nelani against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nelani in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nelani is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nelani will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nelani is most common
State-level data for Nelani 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 Nelani
Statistically, parents drawn to Nelani tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nilani, Nolani, Naelani, Layani, and Ruhani.
NilaniNolaniNaelaniLayaniRuhaniMiyaniNeilaniKayani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nelani | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4987 |
| 2024 | 24 | #5300 |
| 2023 | 16 | #6922 |
| 2022 | 13 | #8032 |
| 2021 | 13 | #8024 |
| 2020 | 27 | #4757 |
| 2019 | 16 | #7025 |
| 2018 | 16 | #7100 |
| 2016 | 11 | #9411 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10148 |
| 2014 | 5 | #16513 |
| 2013 | 6 | #14582 |
| 2012 | 10 | #10429 |
| 2011 | 6 | #14824 |
| 2010 | 5 | #16992 |
| 2009 | 5 | #17294 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nelani a popular girl name?
Nelani ranked #5083 among girls in 2025 with 26 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #10148.
When was the name Nelani most popular?
Nelani peaked in 2020, when 27 American girls received the name (ranked #4757 that year). Since 2020 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nelani?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 69,231 newborn American girls was named Nelani. 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.