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By Clare Green · Jul 2026

Jelani

OriginSwahili
Meaning"mighty"
GenderBoy
Also a girl's nameShow me Jelani as a girl's name
US Rank#932

Top 1000

NB Rank#6337

On Nameberry

About Jelani

The name Jelani is currently ranked #932 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #935 in 1998. It is currently rising in popularity. The name is most popular in JELANI, JELANI, and JELANI. Jelani is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

Popularity & trends

US popularity — history
US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025
Actual · SSA
#1,500#2,000'14'16'18'20'22'24
20142025
18802025
Data table
YearUS rankBirthsPer million
2014#2,0496935.9
2015#1,7259047
2016#1,6239952.2
2017#1,60610054
2018#1,8138446.3
2019#1,7399050.2
2020#1,7378951.6
2021#1,63910258.3
2022#1,42312973.9
2023#1,40413176.6
2024#1,7479454.6
2025#2,1566739.2
Popularity history from more than a century of Social Security Administration birth records. Years without a line are years the name fell below the published records.

World rankings

#272↔️ Unisex#747❄️ Unique

Famous Jelanis

  • Jelani Gray

    daughter of American rapper "Juvenile"

  • Jelani McCoy

    American basketball player

  • (William) Jelani Cobb

    American writer, author, and educator

Jelani in blog posts

Truly Gender-Neutral Names: The Most Balanced of Them All

Jelani on more lists

6 Letter Boy Names
Names Ending in I for Boys
Three Syllable Names for Boys
Names that Peaked in 1998
Names That Mean Mighty

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