Total births
27,817
Unisex name · since 1970
Imani
Since 1970, U.S. Social Security records show 27,817 babies named Imani, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #526
- among girls today
- 27,817
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Imani currently ranks #526 among unisex names in America, with 27,817 babies recorded since 1970.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Imani has been recorded 27,817 times among girls since 1970, currently ranked #526 nationally and more common than 97% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #526 among girls today
- 27,817 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Imani is currently the #526 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 27,817 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #526
- among girls today
- 27,817
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Imani vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#526
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Imani was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
1,222 babies were named Imani in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Imani compares
27,817 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Imani's all-time total is 73x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Imani | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 27,817 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,222 | 48 | 19,840 |
Imani's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Imani's full recorded timeline at 1998, 77% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 23% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1970, with just 9 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 1,222 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Imani at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1998
Current rank
#526
Active since
1970
Imani popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 1,222
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Imani popularity over time - boys
1,395 total births recorded since 1972 (Imani as boys' name)
Imani by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Imani's strongest decade.
8,823 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Imani births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 255
1970s
255 births
- 1980s 522
1980s
522 births
- 1990s
1990s
8,011 births
- 2000s
2000s
8,823 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,672 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,534 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 8,823 births (32% of all-time use).
How Imani compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Imani's total volume
Imani vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Imani by state
Where Imani concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,296 | 11.8% |
| #2 | California | | 2,201 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,742 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 1,699 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,650 | 5.9% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 1,389 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,383 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,360 | 4.9% |
New York share of Imani's total US births 11.8%
Even split
3,296 of 27,817 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Imani appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Imani? ▼
27,817 babies have been named Imani since 1970. It currently ranks #526 among girls. The peak year was 1998 with 1,222 births.
When was Imani most popular? ▼
Imani was most popular in the 2000s decade with 8,823 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Imani most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Imani are New York (3,296 births), California (2,201 births), Florida (1,742 births).
Is Imani a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Imani is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 27,817 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,395 births.
How long has the name Imani been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Imani since 1970 -- 56 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Imani? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ima, Iman, Imari, Imaan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Imani's data
- Imani's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (8,823 total births) through the 2020s (3,534) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Imanis (3,296 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Imani
Nearby Names Like Imani
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Imani
Ima Girl
6,806 births
Iman Girl
#2088 5,124 births
Imari Girl
#5509 2,365 births
Imaan Girl
#3669 814 births
Imara Girl
#2999 720 births
Compare Imani side by side: Imani vs Ima Imani vs Iman Imani vs Imari
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Imani
Charli #525
11,692 births · Peak 2021
Armani #527
12,033 births · Peak 2022
Danielle #524
371,803 births · Peak 1987
Edith #528
270,880 births · Peak 1918
Makenna #523
33,741 births · Peak 2005
Mae #529
114,835 births · Peak 1918
Briar #522
7,002 births · Peak 2025
Hadassah #530
9,312 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Imani: #526 Unisex Name - 27,817 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/imani. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Imani draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.