Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2020

Kelani

Gender Girl · 4% boys Rank 2025 #1,542 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#1,542
among girls · ↓182 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
137
named Kelani · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,732
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2020
189 babies
All-time total
1,774
#5,233 all-time among girls
First recorded
1976
in Social Security records

Kelani popularity over time

1,774 babies have been named Kelani since 1976, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 10 – 10 1 – #9,983
1980s 9 – 9 1 -10% #8,368
1990s 69 – 69 7 +667% #7,282
2000s 154 6 160 16 +132% #6,412
2010s 526 48 574 57 +259% #1,691
2020s (to 2025) 940 12 952 159 +176% #1,252

Where Kelani is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 141 0.09 outside top 500
2027 144 0.09 outside top 500
2028 147 0.09 outside top 500
2029 150 0.09 outside top 500
2030 152 0.09 outside top 500

Where Kelani is most popular

Girls named Kelani per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.093 per 1,000. Strongest in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Kelani born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Mississippi 27 0.577 +518%
Louisiana 32 0.366 +291%
Alabama 28 0.298 +219%
Georgia 62 0.273 +192%
South Carolina 24 0.267 +186%
North Carolina 46 0.202 +116%
Florida 83 0.194 +108%
Tennessee 20 0.126 +35%
Texas 84 0.104 +12%
Indiana 12 0.085 -9%
Illinois 19 0.083 -11%
Pennsylvania 12 0.051 -46%
Missouri 6 0.050 -47%
Ohio 10 0.042 -55%
New York 16 0.040 -57%
California 27 0.032 -66%
Virginia 5 0.029 -69%
New Jersey 5 0.028 -70%
Michigan 5 0.027 -71%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Kelani

Kelani is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,542 in 2025 with 137 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1976, 1,774 American babies have been named Kelani. Its peak came in 2020, when 189 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Kelani stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kelani?

The median living Kelani is about 5 years old; half are between 2 and 9. An estimated 1,800 people named Kelani are alive in the United States today.

median 5 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kelani 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 137 #1,542 – –
2024 168 #1,360 – –
2023 141 #1,520 – –
2022 165 #1,390 5 #13,367
2021 147 #1,464 – –
2020 182 #1,252 7 #10,102
2019 124 #1,691 6 #11,490
2018 113 #1,805 7 #10,227
2017 92 #2,101 8 #9,306
2016 56 #2,995 7 #10,233
2015 38 #3,951 7 #10,122
2014 19 #6,591 8 #9,234
2013 23 #5,744 – –
2012 20 #6,475 5 #13,286
2011 19 #6,727 – –
2010 22 #6,068 – –
2009 21 #6,429 6 #11,762
2008 18 #7,225 – –
2007 16 #7,910 – –
2006 13 #8,997 – –
2005 19 #6,412 – –
2004 15 #7,617 – –
2003 14 #7,790 – –
2002 10 #9,882 – –
2001 14 #7,532 – –
2000 14 #7,372 – –
1995 12 #7,282 – –
1990 6 #12,088 – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kelani, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kelani?

The median living Kelani is about 5 years old. Half of all living Kelanis are between 2 and 9 years old.

How many people named Kelani are alive today?

An estimated 1,800 people named Kelani are alive in the United States, based on 1,774 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Kelani in 2025?

Kelani ranked #1,542 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 137 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kelani?

1,774 babies have been named Kelani in the United States since 1976, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kelani most popular?

Kelani peaked in 2020, when 189 newborns received the name.

Is Kelani a boy or girl name?

Kelani is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kelani rising or falling?

Kelani is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kelani become more popular?

Kelani is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 152 girls named Kelani in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Kelani

Names that sound and feel close to Kelani: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kelani with similar names → More names starting with K →