Jamalia
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "beautiful" or "lovely".
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Jamalia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jamalia today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jamalia births was 1977 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jamalia. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jamalia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1977
6 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1997 SSA rank
#14,650
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Jamalia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jamalia from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 10 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
Jamalia 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 Jamalia 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 Jamalia
The name Jamalia originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the word "Jamal," which means beauty or grace. This name is believed to have been in use since ancient times in the Middle Eastern and North African regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jamalia can be traced back to the 9th century CE, when it was mentioned in historical texts and poetry from the Abbasid Caliphate. The name was often associated with elegance, charm, and exquisite beauty during this period.
In the 12th century, a famous Persian poet and scholar named Jamalia Balkhi gained recognition for her contributions to literature and philosophy. She was renowned for her mastery of the Arabic language and her insightful writings on love, spirituality, and the human condition.
During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa from the 14th to the early 20th century, the name Jamalia was popular among the aristocracy and upper classes. It was considered a name of distinction and refinement.
In the 19th century, Jamalia Al-Husayni was a prominent Palestinian educator and activist who played a significant role in establishing schools and advocating for women's education in the region. She was born in 1835 and dedicated her life to empowering women through education.
Another notable figure with the name Jamalia was Jamalia Alindogan, a Filipino writer and activist who lived from 1922 to 2005. She was known for her dedication to promoting literature, arts, and culture in the Philippines, as well as her advocacy for human rights and social justice.
While the name Jamalia has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and embraced by various communities around the world, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries. Its association with beauty, grace, and elegance has made it a timeless and cherished name throughout history.
People
Jamalia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jamalia 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
Jamalia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jamalia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jamalia 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Jamalia a common name?
We classify Jamalia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jamalia most popular?
The single biggest year for Jamalia was 1977, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jamalia is about 38 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 Jamalia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jamalia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jamalia 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 Jamalia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jamalia 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 Jamalia 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 Jamalia?
You can see how many Americans are named Jamalia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.