Total births
1,708
Girls' name · since 1976
Kelani
1,708 babies named Kelani in U.S. Social Security records since 1976, with the highest year being 2020. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1362
- among girls today
- 1,708
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Kelani currently ranks #1362 among girls' names in America, with 1,708 babies recorded since 1976.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelani has been recorded 1,708 times among girls since 1976, currently ranked #1362 nationally and more common than 92% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #1362 among girls today
- 1,708 born since 1976
- 2020s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelani is currently the #1362 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 1,708 born since 1976, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1362
- among girls today
- 1,708
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Kelani vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1362
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Kelani was born in this single decade.
2020
Single peak year
182 babies were named Kelani in 2020 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelani compares
1,708 Top 24% higher than 76% 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
Kelani's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelani | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,708 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 182 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kelani's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kelani splits its recorded history at 2007: 89% of all births land in the more recent half, 11% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1976 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2020 peak of 182 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kelani at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2020
Current rank
#1,362
Active since
1976
Kelani popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (2020)
- 182
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Kelani popularity over time - boys
66 total births recorded since 2009 (Kelani as boys' name)
Kelani by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Kelani's strongest decade.
940 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Kelani births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 9
1980s
9 births
- 1990s 69
1990s
69 births
- 2000s 154
2000s
154 births
- 2010s
2010s
526 births
- 2020s
2020s
940 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 940 births (55% of all-time use).
How Kelani 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 Kelani's total volume
Kelani vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kelani by state
Where Kelani concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | | 155 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 139 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 120 | 7.0% |
| #4 | California | | 103 | 6.0% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 77 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 45 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 42 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 38 | 2.2% |
Florida share of Kelani's total US births 9.1%
Even split
155 of 1,708 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Kelani appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelani? ▼
Kelani has been given to 1,708 babies in the U.S. since 1976, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1362 as of the latest data. 182 babies were born in 2020, its single highest year.
When was Kelani most popular? ▼
Kelani was most popular in the 2020s decade with 940 total births. The single peak year was 2020.
Where is Kelani most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelani are Florida (155 births), Texas (139 births), Georgia (120 births).
How long has the name Kelani been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kelani since 1976 -- 50 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kelani? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelsey, Kelli, Kellie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kelani's data
- Florida records the most Kelanis (155 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Florida 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 Kelani
Nearby Names Like Kelani
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelani
Kelly Girl
#867 473,965 births
Kelsey Girl
#673 150,416 births
Kelli Girl
#7320 74,891 births
Kellie Girl
#6955 50,754 births
Kelley Girl
#6681 46,099 births
Compare Kelani side by side: Kelani vs Kelly Kelani vs Kelsey Kelani vs Kelli
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelani
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, 1976–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelani: #1362 Girls' Name - 1,708 Births, Peak 2020." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelani. 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 Kelani 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.