Jelani is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jelani means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jelani across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jelani has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jelani is a boy name of African (Swahili) origin meaning “mighty, powerful”. An East African name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 5,660 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 127 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jelani per year, United States (1973 to 2025). United States peaked in 2023 (218/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2020 (8/yr).
Jelani is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2023, when it ranked #2,114 nationally (given to 223 babies that year).
Julian · Jalen · Juliana · Jolene · Jaelyn · Jaelynn · Jaylani · Jalyn
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