Imani
Imani was the 579th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 512 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 239th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 46 places. More babies were named Imani in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning faith (Swahili) · Swahili, Arabic
Say it ih-MAH-nee /ɪˈmɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #579 girls, down 57 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 512girls
- Girls and boys
- 92% girls, 8% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19981,222 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,212babies recorded
What does the name Imani mean?
Imani is the Swahili word for "faith, belief", borrowed from Arabic īmān, "faith", as Wiktionary notes. It is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, celebrated on its last day. It came into use as a girl's name in the US in the 1970s, mainly among African American families. A Persian surname Imani is separate.
imani (Swahili, “faith, belief”)إِيمَان (Arabic, “faith”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: African names, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Imani', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
Imani popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #579 | #3,014 | 512 | 41 |
| 2020 | #522 | #3,448 | 580 | 32 |
| 2010 | #372 | #3,932 | 861 | 26 |
| 2000 | #304 | #2,350 | 1,051 | 41 |
| 1990 | #936 | #2,654 | 203 | 25 |
| 1980 | #2,550 | #3,960 | 37 | 10 |
| 1970 | #5,551 | — | 9 | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Imani, counting every spelling?
Imani is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #581 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #579 for Imani on its own. Together these spellings went to 517 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imani | 512 | #579 | 2,954 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Imani?
512 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Imani (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Imani born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 16 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Imani.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Imani?
About 27,500 people born in the US named Imani are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 12 and 28. That makes Imani mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Imani by state
How common Imani was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (3.5×), Louisiana (2.9×), South Carolina (2.4×), Georgia (2.3×), Nevada (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Nebraska, Kentucky.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Imani: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Imani, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Imani · Sibling names for Imani
Questions about the name Imani
What does Imani mean?
Imani means “faith (Swahili)” (Swahili, Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Imani?
Imani was the 579th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 512 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 239th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 46 places. More babies were named Imani in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Imani a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 92% girls, 8% boys given the name Imani in the US.
Where is Imani most popular?
In 2021–2025, Imani was most common in Mississippi (1.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by Louisiana and South Carolina.