Total births
11,225
Boys' name · since 1950
Jamel
Since 1950, U.S. Social Security records show 11,225 babies named Jamel, peaking in 1988. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2803
- among boys today
- 11,225
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
11,225 babies have been named Jamel since 1950, making it today's #2803 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Jamel recorded 11,225 times among boys since 1950, holding rank #2803 nationally today, ahead of 80% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #2803 among boys today
- 11,225 born since 1950
- 1980s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jamel is currently the #2803 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 11,225 born since 1950, peaking in the 1980s.
- #2803
- among boys today
- 11,225
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Jamel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2803
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Jamel was born in this single decade.
1988
Single peak year
360 babies were named Jamel in 1988 - its busiest year on record.
How Jamel compares
11,225 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Jamel's all-time total is 31x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jamel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,225 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 360 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jamel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jamel splits its recorded history at 1991: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1950 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1988 peak of 360 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jamel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1988
Current rank
#2,803
Active since
1950
Jamel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1988)
- 360
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Jamel popularity over time - girls
367 total births recorded since 1961 (Jamel as girls' name)
Jamel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Jamel's strongest decade.
3,072 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Jamel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 15
1950s
15 births
- 1960s 134
1960s
134 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,713 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,072 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,725 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,985 births
- 2010s 1,205
2010s
1,205 births
- 2020s 376
2020s
376 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 3,072 births (27% of all-time use).
How Jamel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Jamel's total volume
Jamel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jamel by state
Where Jamel concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,614 | 32.2% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 553 | 4.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 552 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 517 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 511 | 4.6% |
| #6 | California | | 415 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 394 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 390 | 3.5% |
New York share of Jamel's total US births 32.2%
Even split
3,614 of 11,225 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Jamel appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jamel? ▼
Jamel has been given to 11,225 babies in the U.S. since 1950, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2803 as of the latest data. 360 babies were born in 1988, its single highest year.
When was Jamel most popular? ▼
Jamel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 3,072 total births. The single peak year was 1988.
Where is Jamel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jamel are New York (3,614 births), Illinois (553 births), North Carolina (552 births).
How long has the name Jamel been used? ▼
Jamel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1950, spanning 76 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jamel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include James, Jamie, Jameson, Jamal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jamel's data
- Jamel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (3,072 total births); usage has since declined to 376 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Jamels (3,614 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 Jamel
Nearby Names Like Jamel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jamel
James Boy
#5 5,250,638 births
Jamie Boy
#622 88,654 births
Jameson Boy
#118 61,883 births
Jamal Boy
#1182 33,235 births
Jamison Boy
#759 20,796 births
Compare Jamel side by side: Jamel vs James Jamel vs Jamie Jamel vs Jameson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jamel
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, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jamel: #2803 Boys' Name - 11,225 Births, Peak 1988." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jamel. 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 Jamel 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.