Jalen
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "unseen" or "hidden".
Name Census estimates that about 41,197 living Americans carry the first name Jalen. It sits at #467 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly male name (95.9% of registrations). The average person named Jalen today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jalen births was 2000 (3,680 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jalen. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Jalen is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 1,711 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
41K
~ 1 in 8,320 Americans
Peak year
2000
3,680 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#467
Tracked since 1976
Gender
Gender distribution for Jalen
Jalen leans heavily male at 95.9% of total registrations, but 1,711 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jalen as a male name
- Ranked #467 in 2024
- 659 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (3,513 births)
Jalen as a female name
- Ranked #8,124 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (167 births)
Popularity
Jalen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jalen from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 21,362 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jalen 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 Jalen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jalens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 48 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Jalen, while Idaho, Maine, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 828 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jalen
The name Jalen is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots possibly stemming from the word "jalil," meaning "great" or "exalted." This name gained popularity in the Middle East and North Africa regions during the medieval period, particularly among Arabic-speaking communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jalen can be found in historical documents from the 10th century, where it was mentioned as the name of a prominent scholar and philosopher from Andalusia, Spain. This scholar, known as Jalen Ibn Hazm, was born in 994 AD and made significant contributions to the fields of theology, history, and literature.
In the 12th century, the name Jalen was also associated with a renowned poet and mystic from Persia, known as Jalen al-Din Rumi. Born in 1207 AD in present-day Afghanistan, Rumi's spiritual teachings and poetic works have had a lasting impact on Islamic literature and Sufism.
As the Islamic empires expanded across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, the name Jalen continued to be used among various Muslim communities. In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jalen al-Suyuti, an Egyptian scholar and writer, gained recognition for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and Quranic exegesis.
Another prominent individual bearing the name Jalen was Jalen al-Wazir, a 17th-century Ottoman statesman and grand vizier who served under Sultan Mehmed IV. He played a significant role in the administration and governance of the Ottoman Empire during his tenure.
While the name Jalen has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic cultures, it has also been adopted and used in various parts of the world. For example, in the late 19th century, there was a notable figure named Jalen Tanner, an American scientist and inventor who made contributions to the field of chemistry and held several patents for his inventions.
It's important to note that these historical references and examples are not an exhaustive list, and there may be other notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jalen. The name's rich cultural heritage and diverse geographic spread have contributed to its enduring popularity across different regions and communities.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jalen
People
Jalen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jalen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jalen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jalen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41,197 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jalen 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 8,320 US residents.
Is Jalen a common name?
We classify Jalen as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41,824 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jalen most popular?
The single biggest year for Jalen was 2000, when 3,680 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jalen is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jalen a male name?
Yes, 95.9% of people registered as Jalen in the SSA data are male. 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.
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.