Imaani
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "faith" or "belief".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Imaani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Imaani today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Imaani births was 2023 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Imaani. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Imaani with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Imaani. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
2023
11 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,229
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Imaani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Imaani from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 18 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Imaani by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Imaani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Imaani
The name Imaani originates from the Arabic language and culture, with its roots traced back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "iman," which means faith or belief, signifying a strong connection to Islamic principles and traditions.
Imaani is closely associated with the Islamic faith and is often regarded as a name with profound religious significance. In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, the concept of "iman" is frequently mentioned and emphasized as a fundamental pillar of the Islamic faith, highlighting the importance of unwavering belief in Allah and adherence to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Imaani can be found in historical records and manuscripts from the early Islamic era. Notably, it was mentioned in several hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) compilations, which served as important sources of guidance for the Muslim community.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Imaani. One such individual was Imaani bint Bashir al-Ansari (628-685 CE), a prominent female companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned scholar of her time. She was revered for her knowledge and contributions to the preservation of Islamic teachings.
Another historical figure with this name was Imaani ibn Abi Layla (713-765 CE), a renowned jurist and scholar from Kufa, Iraq. He was highly respected for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the development of Islamic legal thought.
In the 11th century, Imaani al-Harrawi (1009-1089 CE) was a prominent Sufi scholar and poet from Herat, Afghanistan. Her poetic works, infused with spiritual themes and devotion to Allah, have been widely celebrated and studied within the Sufi tradition.
During the 13th century, Imaani al-Qaadiri (1198-1276 CE) was a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual leader from Baghdad. She was known for her profound insights into Islamic spirituality and her influential teachings, which inspired many followers and established a significant Sufi order.
In more recent times, Imaani Bashir (1904-1993) was a prominent Pakistani educator and author. She dedicated her life to promoting education and empowering women, establishing several educational institutions and publishing numerous works on Islamic teachings and women's rights.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Imaani, reflecting its profound religious and cultural significance within the Arabic and Islamic traditions.
People
Imaani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Imaani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Imaani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Imaani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Imaani going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Imaani a common name?
We classify Imaani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Imaani most popular?
The single biggest year for Imaani was 2023, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Imaani is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Imaani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Imaani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Imaani in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Imaani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Imaani in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Imaani can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Imaani?
Find out how many people have the name Imaani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.