Total births
4,718
Unisex name · since 1973
Jelani
4,718 babies named Jelani in U.S. Social Security records since 1973, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1760
- among boys today
- 4,718
- born since 1973
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Jelani is the #1760 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 4,718 recorded since 1973.
Jelani has 4,718 recorded births among boys since 1973, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1760 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2025.
- #1760 among boys today
- 4,718 born since 1973
- 2000s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Jelani is currently the #1760 unisex name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 4,718 born since 1973, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1760
- among boys today
- 4,718
- born since 1973
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Jelani vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1760
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Jelani was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
151 babies were named Jelani in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Jelani compares
4,718 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Jelani's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jelani | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,718 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 151 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jelani's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jelani splits its recorded history at 1999: 59% of all births land in the more recent half, 41% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1973 (36 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 151 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jelani at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#1,760
Active since
1973
Jelani popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 151
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Jelani popularity over time - girls
942 total births recorded since 1975 (Jelani as girls' name)
Jelani by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Jelani's strongest decade.
1,161 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Jelani births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 387
1970s
387 births
- 1980s
1980s
548 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,101 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,161 births
- 2010s
2010s
909 births
- 2020s
2020s
612 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,161 births (25% of all-time use).
How Jelani 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 Jelani's total volume
Jelani vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jelani by state
Where Jelani concentrates geographically, total births since 1973
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 799 | 16.9% |
| #2 | California | | 562 | 11.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 294 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 263 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 173 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 127 | 2.7% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 104 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Maryland | | 84 | 1.8% |
New York share of Jelani's total US births 16.9%
Even split
799 of 4,718 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Jelani appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jelani? ▼
Since 1973, Social Security records show 4,718 babies named Jelani. Today it holds rank #1760 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 151 births.
When was Jelani most popular? ▼
Jelani was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,161 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Jelani most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jelani are New York (799 births), California (562 births), Florida (294 births).
Is Jelani a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Jelani is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,718 births, and as a girl's name it has 942 births.
How long has the name Jelani been used? ▼
Records for Jelani go back to 1973, giving 53 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Jelani? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jelan, Jelon, Jelen, Jeloni, and 1 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jelani's data
- Jelani's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,161 total births) through the 2020s (612) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Jelanis (799 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 Jelani
Nearby Names Like Jelani
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jelani
Jelan Boy
73 births
Jelon Boy
22 births
Jelen Boy
18 births
Jeloni Boy
17 births
Jeliel Boy
14 births
Compare Jelani side by side: Jelani vs Jelan Jelani vs Jelon Jelani vs Jelen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jelani
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1973–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jelani: #1760 Unisex Name - 4,718 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jelani. 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 Jelani 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 July 2026.