Imani
Borrowed from Swahili, from imani (“faith, belief”), from Arabic إِيمَان (ʔīmān).
Every Imani since 1970 — 29,212 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Imani
Imani is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #579 in 2025 with 512 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1970, 29,212 American babies have been named Imani. Its peak came in 1998, when 1,272 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Imani stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Imani year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 512 | #579 | 41 | #3,014 |
| 2024 | 585 | #526 | 46 | #2,805 |
| 2023 | 647 | #476 | 54 | #2,493 |
| 2022 | 627 | #504 | 47 | #2,769 |
| 2021 | 583 | #530 | 58 | #2,357 |
| 2020 | 580 | #522 | 32 | #3,448 |
| 2019 | 597 | #521 | 40 | #3,013 |
| 2018 | 607 | #516 | 23 | #4,411 |
| 2017 | 573 | #541 | 35 | #3,270 |
| 2016 | 577 | #541 | 25 | #4,140 |
| 2015 | 585 | #533 | 19 | #4,948 |
| 2014 | 626 | #500 | 20 | #4,760 |
| 2013 | 630 | #482 | 24 | #4,111 |
| 2012 | 807 | #387 | 26 | #3,940 |
| 2011 | 809 | #392 | 32 | #3,389 |
| 2010 | 861 | #372 | 26 | #3,932 |
| 2009 | 774 | #411 | 21 | #4,644 |
| 2008 | 841 | #384 | 31 | #3,518 |
| 2007 | 845 | #388 | 17 | #5,288 |
| 2006 | 785 | #405 | 19 | #4,755 |
| 2005 | 757 | #412 | 23 | #3,980 |
| 2004 | 801 | #388 | 42 | #2,582 |
| 2003 | 954 | #328 | 27 | #3,394 |
| 2002 | 968 | #318 | 39 | #2,525 |
| 2001 | 1,047 | #300 | 30 | #3,017 |
| 2000 | 1,051 | #304 | 41 | #2,350 |
| 1995 | 1,034 | #266 | 43 | #1,966 |
| 1990 | 203 | #936 | 25 | #2,654 |
| 1985 | 36 | #2,674 | — | — |
| 1980 | 37 | #2,550 | 10 | #3,960 |
| 1975 | 25 | #2,904 | 8 | #4,095 |
| 1970 | 9 | #5,551 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Imani mean?
Borrowed from Swahili, from imani (“faith, belief”), from Arabic إِيمَان (ʔīmān).
How popular is the name Imani in 2025?
Imani ranked #579 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 512 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Imani?
29,212 babies have been named Imani in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Imani most popular?
Imani peaked in 1998, when 1,272 newborns received the name.
Is Imani a boy or girl name?
Imani is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 95% of babies with the name.
Is the name Imani rising or falling?
Imani has been roughly stable over the past decade.