Jalani

ja-LAHN-ee

Malay, Modern invention

"to experience, to live; the heavens; from Gilan"

Jalani Origin and Meaning

The name Jalani is a girl's name meaning "to experience, to live; the heavens; from Gilan".

Traditionally a boys' name in Malaysia, a notable bearer being Olympian Jalani Sidek, Jalani's popularity for girls in the US is likely due to its similarity in sound to the likes of Leilani, Kalani, and Jamari. In this case, it could combine the ja suffix with Hawaiian lani to make a name that means "the sky", "the heavens" or "the supplanter of the heavens", if you take Ja as a nod to a James. Alternatively, it might be a spelling variation on the Arabic name Jilani, borne by a 12th century Persian Sufi scholar and is used in Somalia and among the African American community.

Used on 225 girls in 2023 - along with 26 boys - it is a name on the rise.

Jalani Popularity

• 90 Unique 2023
• 212 Unisex 2023